Suite Life on the Yard
by SprouseGoose
Summary: With most everyone finishing college at the end of SLOC, its time for everyone to move on with their lives. Whether that be grad school or entering the real world or both, they will be facing new and different issues than they ever have before. Now, I will be introducing more new characters as well as giving some minor characters from SLOC more prominent roles in this story.
1. The Saga Continues

_Chapter 1_

_"The Saga Continues"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_The Day After Thanksgiving, Late November, 2065_

With all of their parents out fighting the crowds on Black Friday as part of a family tradition, Grandpa Cody and Grandma Bailey found themselves once again babysitting all of their grandchildren that day. Fortunately for them, one of the perks of both of them being retired was that they already had their Christmas shopping done. In fact, they had been done with their shopping for months. Well, most of it anyways. What they hadn't bought yet they had the product numbers written down and would purchase on-line on Cyber Monday. Plus, with both of them now seventy-two years of age, they didn't feel like they were in the optimum physical shape to battle the throngs at the local mall anymore.

But that didn't matter to them as they looked at it as an early Christmas present to get to spend even more time with their beloved grandchildren. Unfortunately for them though, winter had come early to the Boston area, and the weather outside was snowy with bitterly cold winds. So, with everyone having to stay inside where the heat would keep them warm, Cody and Bailey wondered how the two of them were going to keep their numerous grandchildren occupied for several hours. Lunch would have been a big problem too, but they decided to exercise their grandparental rights to spoil their grandchildren and ordered pizza for everyone. But once everyone had eaten, they were growing restless again.

Bailey smiled at them all. "How about we break into teams and play some board games together?"

Little Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Uh uh, Grandma. You and Grandpa get so competitive that none of us ever win. All of my friends' grandparents let them win occasionally. Plus, I'm only ten years old. I don't know enough words yet to play Scrabble good enough yet..."

"Well enough yet, Sweetheart, but you will in a few years." She paused. "So, if board games are out, how about we all try to find a movie to watch?"

Tommy shook his head and grinned. "I have a better idea, Grandma. Back on your wedding anniversary, Grandpa said he had more stories about you when you were younger to share with us. How about you two tell us more of those?"

Bailey turned to Cody to see his reaction, but she soon discovered that he had fallen asleep with one of their cats in his lap. She shook her head and nudged him awake. "Cody, wake up!"

Startled, his eyelids fluttered before he began looking around in confusion. "Huh? What? Who? What happened?"

She gave him a look. "Nice try falling asleep and leaving me to watch all of our grandchildren by myself..."

Cody gave her a sheepish grin. "Well, I wasn't planning on doing that, but I guess I just got comfortable."

"Uh huh. Anyways, the kids want us to tell them more stories."

He shrugged. "I guess we can do that. I mean, that wouldn't require me to get up." He paused as he tried to think. "Now, where did we leave off the last time?"

Tommy grinned. "You left off right after you and Grandma got married in Hawaii..."

"Ahh, yes. I remember that now. Let me see..." Cody stopped to think. "Well, after we got married, we all left Hawaii and headed back to Boston. As I said before, we put off our honeymoon for a few weeks. So, once we got back here, we spent the next few weeks finishing up working, moving everything over to our new townhouse and writing thank you notes for all of our wedding gifts."

Bailey shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's all you did, but I had more than that to do! I had to get my name legally changed to Bailey Martin along with all that came along with that. Which means getting a new driver's license, a new social security card, new debit and credit cards and a whole bunch of other things..."

He smiled at her. "Well, to be fair, I had to get a new debit and credit cards too as we then now had joint accounts."

She gave him another look. "Yeah because that's the same thing..."

Cody laughed. "Anyways, we eventually did get everything done. We got ourselves settled into our new home and actually got everything unpacked before we had to pack up again to go on our belated honeymoon."

Roni spoke up. "So, did you guys actually go back to Paris like you said you were going to do?"

Bailey nodded. "We sure did..." She paused and smiled. "And it was just like we said. We were able to build new wonderful memories of that city together to record over our previous not so good ones..."

"Did you two still have dinner on the Eiffel Tower one night?"

Bailey smiled even wider. "Yeah, we did. Your Grandpa set it all up once again..." She elbowed him. "And to prove to him that he didn't need to practice it, it turned out to be one of the best nights of our lives. It was oh so romantic. We even danced under the stars as the same accordion player as before serenaded us..." She paused. "What was his name again?"

Cody paused to think but shook his head. "I can't remember now, Bails. If you would have asked me a few minutes ago, I could have told you. Anyways, when he saw it was us that he had been hired for, he gave us a very skeptical look and almost turned around and left. But we quickly assured him that things would go much better that time, and it did..."

"You can say that again..."

Roni smiled and teased her grandparents. "So, how much of Paris did you guys actually get to see. I mean...it was your honeymoon afterall..."

Both Bailey's and Cody's eyes went wide in surprise. He turned and whispered to her. "Okay, kids these days are watching way too much TV!"

"You can say that again too!" She shook her head. "Lets just say we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Paris. And we did wait in line so we could get into the Louvre."

Cody laughed. "I didn't think that line was ever going to end. And for the longest time, we were standing near this mime that was driving your Grandma crazy. I think she wanted to wring his neck..."

Bailey laughed too. "Well, he was being annoying!"

"Remember what I told you though?"

She paused and sighed. "Yeah, I do. You said a mime was a terrible thing to waste..."

Upon hearing that, all of their grandchildren began groaning. "Granpa! Please tell me you didn't!"

"What? I thought it was funny!"

Roni shook her head. "Well, it is nice to know Grandpa's weird sense of humor wasn't something that developed recently..."

Bailey laughed. "Oh, trust me, its been like ever since I met him. And if you want to hear something that's really funny, he's gotten a lot better over the years. You should have heard some of the jokes he cracked back when we were back on the boat..."

Tommy shook his head this time. "Uh uh! I can't believe that! There's no way possible Grandpa's jokes could have been worse than the ones he tells us!"

"Believe it because its true. I used to fake a giggle just to make him feel better."

Kaylee spoke up. "So do we, Grandma!"

Cody sighed. "I'm right here in the room with you! I can hear everything you're saying!"

Bailey patted his arm. "We know, Sweetie..." She turned back to their grandchildren. "But its like I told him years ago – when he doesn't try so hard, your Grandpa can actually be funny."

He sighed again. "Thanks, Bails..."

"Oh, quit your bellyaching. You know we all love you for so much more than that. If I want to hear a funny joke, I can go to a comedy club. But when we want to feel absolutely loved and adored and special, we know you are the person to go to."

"Well, that's good I suppose."

She kissed him. "Its very good..."

The grandchildren groaned again. "More story!"

Bailey laughed. "Okay, okay. Back to the story. Well, we were only in Paris for a few days before we headed off for fun in the sun in Majorca off the coast of Spain."

"What did you two do there?"

Cody smiled. "We enjoyed ourselves and took it as easy as possible..." He laughed. "When it was time for us to come home, I tried to convince your Grandma that we should just stay there forever."

"And he was this close to doing just that. But I knew we had to return back to the real world. Besides, when we got back, we only had a few days before medical school started. And as fun and interesting as our four years at Yale were, we had no idea that those next four years at Harvard were going to rival them..."

"Yeah, Grandma? What happened then?"

_Logan International Airport, Wednesday, August 12, 2015_

About four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, twelve days after they had left Boston for their honeymoon, Cody and Bailey found themselves de-boarding their plane and entering the international terminal at Logan International Airport. And while it was only four o'clock local time, their bodies were still on Central European Time which made it feel like ten o'clock to them. Unfortunately for them though, as they were soon to find out, their day back in Boston was just getting started. With their carry-on bags slung over their shoulders, they made their way through the terminal and on to their baggage claim area. And there waiting on them with a big smile on her face was Carey. Cody and Bailey didn't see her at first, but neither one of them could mistake the feeling of an arm circling around both of their shoulders.

"You're back!"

Both whirled around to see Carey standing there and smiled. "Hey, Mom. Yeah, we're finally back."

Carey was still grinning though. "Well, I can see you both have gotten some sun. I admit I'm jealous of both of your tans..."

Bailey laughed. "Well, for the last week, we've pretty much spent all of our days out on the beach and enjoying the crystal blue Mediterranean. We had a blast."

"Good. I'm glad you did. But even though you're married now, I still have no desire to know how you spent your evenings..."

Cody shook his head. "Nor do we have any desire to tell you about them. All I know is that I'm wiped out from traveling all day, and I'm looking forward to heading home and calling it a day."

Carey winced. "Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did, but you can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because Zack wanted me to remind you that you two have to be there for a volleyball game tonight. Supposedly, you guys are in the finals of your league tournament tonight."

That surprised both of the newlyweds. "We are? How is that possible? Our team sucked!"

Bailey nodded. "Its true. We finished 7th out of 8 teams, and the team that ended worse than us got wiped out by a summer flu outbreak causing them to forfeit the rest of the season. The week before we left, we were supposed to play the 2nd seed, but they had to forfeit when half their team got stuck in traffic and didn't make it on time. But there is no way we should have won a game last week!"

Carey shrugged. "Well, you did. From what I've been told, London had to actually end up playing for you guys. And Maddie told me she remembered some trick she used while they were both on the volleyball team in school to motivate her. Judging by the score of 21-7, 21-12, I think it worked."

Bailey turned to Cody in surprise. "How is that possible? I thought Zack had to step in or London was going to flunk PE on the boat?"

"He did..." He shrugged himself. "But I guess it doesn't really matter." He checked his watch. "Looks like we have about three hours to get back home, unpack and then on to the club."

"I guess so..." She sighed. "And I was so looking forward to doing nothing once we got back."

Carey laughed. "You just got back from a vacation..." She paused. "Oh...wait. Nevermind. You were on your honeymoon, so I doubt you two actually took it easy. Anyways, you still have a couple of weeks before school starts back to rest up."

Cody shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don't. We begin on Monday. Harvard Medical School got rid of their usual three day orientation, and instead, we have a two week Introduction to the Profession class. It'll be eight to five all next week and through Thursday of the following week. Then we'll have a three day weekend before classes begin in earnest."

"Oh..." She shrugged. "Well, I guess that will stop Zack from complaining any more about you two never having a class before nine o'clock."

"Yeah, and it will be the same way when our real classes begin too."

Bailey sighed again. "And there is the other thing we found out about that he won't like, but I think it bothers us more than it will him..."

"What's that?"

"Our first two years, our pre-clinical years, all of our grades will either be satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Even if we do totally outstanding work, the best we'll do is get a letter of excellence put into our permanent files..."

Carey just looked at the both of them. "And you're complaining about that?"

"Of course we are, Mom! We busted our humps at Yale to keep our 4.0s all the way through. Now, we'll still bust our humps and more than likely get the same grade as someone who passes by the skin of their teeth..."

She sighed. "Silly me. I briefly forgot who I was talking to for a minute. Anyways, speaking of orientations and beginning school, when will your sister be arriving in Boston to begin Harvard herself, Bailey?"

"Amy will get here two weeks from yesterday. She wants a couple of days to get used to being in Boston, and then on that Friday, we're going out shopping to get her what she'll need for school. With all of the scholarship money she's gotten from various sources, she's going to invest in a few things like a new laptop and printer. Plus, she wants to buy some clothes that are more...urban than rural. And then, at some point, she wants us to help her figure out what classes to take her first semester. Word's gotten out that we're pretty good at that."

"I guess I can't blame her for that." Carey smiled. "Well, fortunately for her, she'll have you both to help her out and find what the proper attire for an Ivy League school is."

Cody laughed. "Well, she'll have Bailey. While they'll be out shopping that morning, I'll be taking Albert to the veterinarian."

She frowned. "Wait a minute...who's Albert?"

Bailey smiled. "He's the cat from my parents' farm who will be taking Porker's place in living with us next year. We weren't sure what to name him at first, but we watched the Back to the Future trilogy on our flight to Europe. Doc Brown named his dog Einstein, and we kind of liked the idea of naming our pet after a famous scientist. So, we decided to call him Albert, but I'll probably end up calling him Albie. Anyways, my parents say he's much more a house cat than a farm cat, so Cody is going to take him to the vet London uses for Ivana to get him neutered and a microchip implanted..." She paused. "I'm still debating on whether or not to get him de-clawed or not. Normally, I'd be totally against it, but since he won't be going outside any, I think it might be to his and our furniture's benefit to have it done."

"Ahhh..." Carey paused and laughed again. "Cody, I hope you realize that cat is probably going to hate you for a little while. He'll see you as the person who took away his...well, I guess for cats it would be his 'Tomhood' away from him. So, don't be surprised."

He sighed. "Oh, I know. But, before we left, we watched several episodes of My Cat From Hell, and I think I have a few ideas how to lessen it some." He paused and smiled. "I must say, Mom...I'm pleasantly surprised to see you taking becoming a grandmother so well. Essentially, you will be Al's grandma..."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I handled it with Bubba, so this shouldn't be any different. Besides, a pet is a lot different than a baby. The only thing I'm wondering though is how Bailey talked you into being the one to take him to the vet..."

Cody shrugged. "I lost rock, paper, scissors. It would seem after being together for seven years that she's learned my tendency of initially going with paper..."

Carey laughed. "Looks like it..."

"By the way, we want to have a cook out at our place as kind of an official housewarming/getting reading to start back to school get together that Friday night. Can you make it?"

"Sure, I'll be there. Besides, I want to meet my new...grandson."

Just then, the baggage claim belt began moving. "Stay right here, Mom, and we'll go grab our bags."

And with that, Cody and Bailey headed off to get their luggage. Fortunately for them, their bags were among the first to come out. So, as they we're lifting them off, Bailey whispered to Cody.

"Why did you tell my Mom we did rock, paper, scissors. I don't remember us doing that."

He grinned and winked at her. "Did you want me to tell her the real way you convinced me to do it?"

She paused before shaking her head. "Nope. Good call on that one..."

_The Sports Bar near the Tipton, about 6:30 that evening_

After Carey had dropped them off at their new townhouse, Cody and Bailey had a little over an hour to begin unpacking from their honeymoon before they had to head back out. Realizing how tired they really were, they decided to put off doing laundry until the next day and opted instead to try to get a nap in to refresh themselves. Unfortunately, that was not to be as both were just about to drift off to sleep when the alarm they set went off. Sighing, they changed into to their uniforms and headed off to the sports bar where their game were held. And when they arrived, everyone else was sitting around a picnic table outside enjoying a cold beverage. And upon seeing them, everyone else began applauding.

"Well, well...you two actually did show up tonight. I actually made a bet with Maya that you two would skip out on us. Thanks, Bro...Sis...once again, you've made me lose a bet..."

Cody smirked at him. "We try our best, Zack. But as for the game tonight, don't expect much from either one of us..."

"Broseph, I never expect much from you when it comes to a sport of any kind..."

Bailey shook her head. "Well, don't expect much from me either. Cody and I have spent the last ten hours flying a third of the way around the world, and our bodies think it should be after midnight right now."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Oh please! Even if that's so, I seriously doubt you two were ever asleep by twelve thirty any night of your honeymoon. Sure, you might have been in bed, but I'm willing to bet..."

Maya cut him off. "What Zack's trying to say is welcome back, and we completely understand that you two might be a little exhausted."

Bailey laughed. "Thanks. Besides, we heard with London playing, you guys didn't even need us..."

London shook her head. "Yeah, well that was a one time thing! I broke a nail last week and have retired again!" She paused. "Anyways, did you two have fun on your honeymoon?"

Cody smiled. "We sure did. Your father's private villa was more than we could have ever imagined. We had a blast."

"I imagine you did especially with the private cove. Its good to see neither of you has pasty skin any longer. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if we checked, we'd probably find neither one of you has any tan lines..."

Zack grimaced. "Lets not. I'd rather not lose my lunch before we play." He paused and smirked at them. "But, while you two were in Paris, run into smarmy french guys this time?"

Bailey paused. "Actually, we did. Fortunately, he didn't seem to recognize us, so we were able to avoid him. But it looks like he was up to his old tricks except it seems the past several years haven't been very kind to him..."

Cody nodded. "Our theory is an over fondness of fattening French pastries and cheese..." He paused and laughed. "In fact, we joked to each other that he might not be able to fit through the Champs Elysees now..."

Bailey laughed too. "And then we began joking about what the Mona Lisa was smirking about. Cody thought that it was because..."

Zack cut her off. "I'm going to go ahead and stop you right now. Odds are its one of those things that only the two of you would find funny..."

"Well, we did think it was funny!"

"I'm sure you did...And considering the things you two find humorous, I'm glad I stopped you when I did..."

Maddie shook her head and laughed herself. "Anyways, its good to have you two back in Boston again. But I'm guessing you two are preparing yourselves to getting back into school mode again. What do you have? A couple of weeks before you start back?"

"Try a couple of days. Our orientation class starts on Monday morning at eight AM sharp."

Zack laughed. "Finally! You two don't get a perk when it comes to school. My orientation doesn't begin back until two weeks from Monday."

Maya smirked at him. "And some of us don't have orientation at all and won't begin classes until the following Tuesday after Labor Day..."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah...rub it in why don't you..."

Bailey laughed. "Speaking of school starting back, Amy is coming to Boston in a couple of weeks and she will move into her dorm on the Saturday before classes begin. Cody and I are going to have a housewarming/end of summer cookout at our place that Friday night, and all of you are cordially invited."

"Free food? We'll be there!"

Cody sighed. "Who didn't see that coming? Besides, it'll give everyone a chance to meet the newest member of our little family, Albert – our cat."

Zack couldn't help himself. "You're lucky you're a married man now, Broseph. A single guy with a cat would cause people to wonder."

"Get your mind out of the gutter. Besides, more households nowadays have cats than dogs. Anyway, that Friday, I'm taking him to the vet to get neutered, so I hope everyone will understand if he's a little...grouchy that evening."

Maddie nodded. "Understood. I remember how angry Scamp was with me after I did that same thing to him. But, I had to. After his...dalliance with Ivana, I kind of had to. London practically made me..."

"Dalliance?" London glared at her. "He defiled my little princess! You're lucky I didn't have Daddy take him out!"

Bailey shook her head. "Anyways, that afternoon, I'm taking Amy shopping. She wants some clothes to help her fit in better around Boston and around campus. So, I'm going to take her to the outlet malls outside of town."

London turned her attention to her. "And she asked you?" She shook her head. "For the sake of that girl's social life, I'm going with you! No offense, Bailey, but one of you around Boston is enough!"

"London!"

"Hey, I admit you've gotten better. Your choice of wedding dress was proof of that. But, Bailey, your style still sucks. Fortunately, you've got Cody who doesn't care what you wear, but your sister doesn't have that same luxury!"

Maddie shook her head again. "Anyways, changing the subject, are you two looking forward to having classes with your soon to be famous classmate?"

Cody and Bailey looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"That's right. It didn't make the news until the day after you two left for your honeymoon. Seems America's sweetheart from the London Olympic games will be beginning medical school with you. You remember her, the one who tore up her knee but was still able to win a gold medal anyways? Well, she's announced that her knee hadn't healed enough for her to try to compete again in Rio next summer, so she's retiring to go to medical school."

"Huh...We didn't know that. But odds are we'll barely see her if at all. There will be close to a hundred and fifty in our class, and they are breaking us up into two different sections. Odds are, we'll be in different sections and hardly ever come in contact with her."

Cody nodded. "Besides, a gold medal isn't all that impressive. I mean, Bailey and I have our own gold medals."

"You do? Where was I when you two get those?"

"From the Mathlympics before we started college. We beat the Albanians and won gold medals."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like those are the same as a real Olympic gold medal..."

"Just because we earned ours with our brains rather than our bodies shouldn't make them any less valuable."

He wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder. "Codester, of course it does. The only time people care if you do something with your minds is if you kick butt on Jeopardy like that Ken Jennings guy or if you discover the cure to some disease and win a Nobel Prize. And lets face it Bro...you're never going to do either of those things..."

_To be Continued..._

**AN: Yes, I'm finally beginning the sequel. First things first - don't expect this to be posted on any kind of schedule. I'll post a chapter when I have time to do one whenever that will be. Now, if people are wondering about the name because it sounds funny, I tend to agree. But Harvard's campus is known as the Yard. So, with a vast majority of the main characters attending that university in one form or another, I went with it. Finally, the episodes will probably be a little shorter than in SLOC. Sorry about that, but I just don't have the time to write as much as I did. I will say though I will be bringing some topics to this story that I haven't tackled before. So, if I offend anyone when I do, I apologize in advance.**


	2. Sheldon and the Olympian

_Chapter 2_

_"Sheldon and the Olympian"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Harvard Medical School, August 17, 2015_

After spending the weekend re-acclimating themselves to being back in Boston instead of in paradise, Cody and Bailey found themselves sitting in an auditorium on the Harvard Medical School campus early the following Monday morning. And to be fair, the first day of their Introduction to the Profession class was somewhat useful as the presenters were basically telling them things to expect in the first years as medical students and some things they would want to avoid. Some things such as the high rates of alcoholism, drug addiction and suicide among the medical profession were discussed in an attempt to scare them. Unfortunately, some of the other things they were told were meant to be humorous though several students didn't take that way. One of them was Bailey, and during their first morning break, she was still fuming about one such comment.

"Cody, can you believe they really said that?"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah, I guess I can. Just because it doesn't sound that nice doesn't mean it isn't true..."

She just gave him a look. "You really think its true?"

"Well, I haven't seen any studies done on the subject, but I can definitely see how it would be."

Bailey could only shake her head. "And that doesn't make you angry?"

Cody shrugged again. "Not really. I mean, it doesn't really apply to us, so I don't see the need to get upset about it."

"Cody!"

He smiled at her. "Bails, like I said, it doesn't apply to us. Why should we care if saying 'I'm a Harvard Medical School student' is the golden pick-up line for guys and the curse of celibacy for women?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Because I do care!"

Cody teased her. "Oh? Trying to tell me that you're going to go out and test out its veracity yourself by using it as a pick-up line?"

"Of course not! But it just doesn't seem like its fair at all!"

He rubbed her back. "Life isn't fair, Sweetie. But if you really think about it, I think the ladies here are the lucky ones in that regard."

"How so?"

"Well, if a woman says that to a guy and he doesn't high tail it out of there, then the odds increase that she's found a guy with a higher character. Now, for a guy, if he says that and a girl is eating out of the palm of his hand, what does he really have? He has someone who likes him for his potential earning power. Maybe its just me, but that doesn't sound like a very good basis for a relationship to me..."

Bailey paused to think about that. "Well, I guess I can see that...But it doesn't make my gender look very good. It pretty much portrays us as a bunch of gold diggers..."

He laughed. "And you think it makes mine look any better? It makes us either completely shallow or narcissistic. Neither gender comes off smelling like roses, Bails..."

"That's true. But its kind of insulting that some women would fawn all over a guy just because of where he goes to do school or how much money he'll make some day."

Cody leaned in and whispered to her. "Hey, Baby...I'm a Harvard Medical School student. Does that do anything for you?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Not really..."

He laughed too. "Guess I'll have to try some other way to get your interest then, huh?"

"Nah, I mean I did just marry you afterall. So I guess I will let you hang around though."

"See? I'm luckier than all of those other guys. I have the woman of my dreams with me because she actually wants to be." He teased her again. "I mean, if after seven years you're still willing to put up with me, you must really love me."

She smiled. "You know I do. And maybe you're right with what you said."

He grinned. "I'll have to remember that..."

"You better. Because I can tell you first hand that getting your wife to admit you're right about anything is almost as rare as seeing Haley's Comet!"

Both Cody and Bailey turned and saw a familiar face smiling at them. "Professor Hyden!"

He smiled at them. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I saw you two and came over to say hello. And I didn't mean to eavesdrop either, but I happened to overhear your conversation. And if I may say, I agree with you both. Unfortunately, they've been using that same speech on first year students since I started school here over thirty years ago."

"Did people then actually try it out to see if it worked?"

Professor Hyden nodded. "They sure did. And I'm halfway ashamed to admit I was one of them."

That piqued Bailey's curiosity. "Only halfway?"

He laughed. "Yeah, the first girl I tried it on smirked back at me and told me she was a first year Harvard Law Student, and that she wasn't impressed."

Cody cringed. "Ouch. So, what did you do?"

"I did the only sensible thing I could...I married her. And like you said yourself Mr. Martin, she must really love me because we'll be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary next summer." He grinned. "I figure when you meet a woman willing to put you in your place when you need it, she's worth holding on to."

Cody laughed. "You can say that again..."

"Well, anyways, allow me to congratulate you two on your wedding. And welcome to Harvard Medical School, Mr. and Mrs. Martin."

"Thank you, Dr. Hyden."

He smiled again. "And if I may say, thank you both for not wearing that certain shade of blue today. Yes, neither one of you is wearing crimson, but that can be overlooked today."

Bailey grinned. "Well, we figured we'd wait a while before did that. We're smart enough not to wear our Yale gear here, but we'll still wear it around the house and out and about in Boston."

"I think that's a fair compromise. So, are you two living over in Vanderbilt Hall?"

"No, Sir. We have a townhouse over in the Tipton Town development just down the road."

That caused the good professor to raise an eyebrow. "Oh really? I know several people who tried to get in there but were denied because it was sold out. If I may ask, how did you two pull that off?"

Cody smiled. "London Tipton is a really good friend of ours."

"Ahhh, yes. I should have realized that considering you both had a letter of recommendation from Wilfred Tipton. Well, consider yourselves fortunate then. I lived in Vanderbilt Hall my first two years of medical school, and that place was a dump even then."

Bailey grinned. "Well, I do know Yale named a building for the Vanderbilt family as well, but they make lowly freshman live there. If not for a switch a couple of years before we got there, we would have ended up living there. Just seems kind of strange that Yale puts freshmen in theirs while Harvard puts med students in theirs."

"You two should know by now how much the two schools like to snip at each other. I would bet Yale did that to poke fun at us here..."

"Oh, we do, but right now, Harvard is our family school. Cody's twin brother will be starting at Harvard Business School in a couple of weeks, and my youngest sister is starting undergrad at Harvard then too."

Professor Hyden smiled. "Maybe those two can help you forget about the school to the southeast and give Harvard your full loyalty."

Cody laughed. "I don't think so, Professor."

"Can't blame a guy for trying. Anyways, we section are you two assigned to?"

Bailey double checked her packet. "We're in group 8B."

That brought another smile to the professor's face. "So, you two are in the B section. Excellent, I'll be your instructor in the spring for Immunology, Microbiolgy and Pathology. I look forward to having you both in my class."

"Us too." Cody paused. "But it will be a little strange that won't actually start that class until we get back from spring break. We'll have to get used to having classes that meet everyday for a month or two and then it be over."

"It does take some time, but after a while, you'll feel like it makes sense. It lets you immerse yourself in the subject for a short time and then be done with it."

"Well, I guess we'll see you in class in March then..." Cody paused and laughed again. "We'll be the ones wearing Yale blue..."

Professor Hyden gave them a look. "If you do, be prepared to be called on the first day. And if somehow Yale wins the Game this year..." He shook his head and just began laughing.

_The Offices of London Inns, that same morning_

Across town, Zack was sitting in his office allowing himself to get settled in for the morning. Even though it was a Monday morning, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered that this was his last full week of work for a while. He would have the following week off to get himself ready to begin Harvard Business School, and the week after that, classes would actually begin. So, as Zack sat there with his feet propped up on his desk and his arms behind his head, he allowed his mind wander off to something he found even more pleasant than that – the change in his relationship with Maya since his brother's wedding. To say that he was enjoying life more now than he ever had before would definitely be an understatement. But as he got a dopey grin on his face as he replayed the previous weekend he had shared with his girlfriend, he was suddenly snapped out of his daydream by a voice he hadn't heard in in the past week.

"Zack, is that what you did all last week while I was out of town?"

Zack looked up to see Moseby shaking his head at him Quickly, he sat upright in his chair. "Of course not, Moseby! I do this everyday before I begin work to allow myself to focus so I can be at my optimal efficiency."

Moseby just gave him a look. "Uh huh..."

He decided to change the subject. "So, how was Los Angeles? How's Dwight doing?"

Moseby shrugged. "He wants to put off having yet another surgery on his back if he can help it."

"I don't blame him. I mean, he's been through a lot the last three years. Everyone thought he was going to end up in Brooklyn, but the Nets suddenly pulled out the sweepstakes instead opting to go with Brook Lopez." He sighed. "Why did it have to be the Lakers though that traded for him?"

"From what I hear, its because Orlando lost their minds."

"You can say that again. But, at least he was going to be with Kobe and Steve Nash and have a chance at a title. Unfortunately, that didn't work out thanks to Oklahoma City and Miami, and those two both retired after last season."

"Yeah, Dwight's not sure if he's ready to lead the team now. He fears it will be Orlando all over again except with even more pressure and media scrutiny on him."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I can definitely see that. But, he could always pull a LeBron. He can win a title this year and then lead the US to another gold medal down in Rio next summer."

Moseby laughed. "He told me that you mentioned that very idea to him, but he's worried about losing his spot on the team to a guy with only one eyebrow."

"Hey, they Uniblocker rocks! He's really good! And, he's my age!"

"If you say so. All I know is that Dwight's latest set back is going to turn out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me..."

Zack frowned. "That's kind of harsh, Moseby..."

He just gave him a look. "Haven't you said your brother's appendectomy was one of the best things to ever happen to you because it was then that you finally got back together with Maya?"

"Oh yeah..." Zack paused. "So, how is this going to be good for you?"

Moseby grinned. "Easy! Mother is so worried about him that she's going to move to Los Angeles to take care of her baby boy herself – despite his protestations. Emma and I will no longer have her here in town with us where she can constantly nitpick us!"

"Touche. So, I guess that explains the good mood you seem to be in."

"It is." He paused. "What's the reason for yours?"

Zack paused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh please. Ever since we all got back from Hawaii, you've had an extra spring in your step. Its almost as if..." Moseby stopped to think for a second. "You know, never mind. I don't want to know. How did things go around here last week?"

Zack shrugged. "Like normal. Its a well oiled machine around here. Though, I'll be glad when all of the important phone calls will go to you now instead of me. And by those, I mean the ones from London when she calls because she's bored and wants to talk to someone."

Moseby laughed. "Well, I've missed those. Speaking of London, did she lead you all to a win in your volleyball championship game?"

He laughed too. "Of course not! She refused to play again, and it was the same day the two honeymooners got back to Boston. Those two were more than worthless that game. We got destroyed!"

"Too bad. Did your brother and sister-in-law mention how they enjoyed their honeymoon?"

"Oh, they said they had a blast, but I didn't really want to hear any specific details."

Moseby shook his head. "I know how you feel..."

"Of course, they had to start school today. Sucks to be them!"

"Well, they are in medical school. Speaking of school starting back though, I believe you begin two weeks from today. Has Harvard sent you your schedule for next semester yet?"

Zack nodded. "Got it over the weekend. Looks like I can fit in twelve hours a week here on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. My schedule is going to be really weird this year. I'm going to have some classes that meet on Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday and others that will meet on Friday, Thursday and the Wednesdays my other ones don't meet."

Moseby smiled. "Welcome to graduate school, Zack. Expect the unexpected."

"Hey, I'm just glad I'm finally at a school with a decent basketball team for a change. They may be in the Ivy League, but we have Tommy Amaker as a coach. We should make the NCAA tourney again, and I even thought of trying to walk on to the team..."

Moseby gave him another look. "I wouldn't. Between school and here, you'll have enough on your plate as it is. But that reminds me. If there is ever a conflict between here and your school obligations, focus on them first. London and I both completely understand, and we want you to be able to do your best."

"Oh, don't worry. Maya would whip my butt if I didn't."

He laughed. "Good. I just wish she would have been around when you two hooligans were younger. She could have gotten you to shape up back then and made my life a whole lot easier."

"Moseby, you keep acting like I'm whipped like you and Cody are..."

"Because you are. But don't look it as a bad thing. Trust me, having someone care about you enough to give you a kick in the pants when you need it is a good thing."

Zack paused to think about that. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Speaking of Cody though, he wanted me to invite you and Tut to a cookout at their new place on not this Friday but the next one. Kind of housewarming/back to school send off kind of thing."

"I'll call him later and let him know we'll be there."

He paused again. "So, I guess you haven't heard the other big news you missed while you were gone yet, huh?"

Moseby laughed. "Since I have no idea what you're talking about, then its safe to say I didn't. What happened?"

"Mom went out on a real date – with Arwin!"

That caught his attention. "She did? For real?"

"For real. And she said she actually had fun..."

"Wow..." Moseby paused. "And how do you feel about that?"

Zack shrugged. "I'm okay with it. Cody was always the one who had the dream of our family getting back together one day. And besides, that was a long time ago. Besides, Dad has moved on. And I can tell Mom's felt kind of lost the past couple of years with both Cody and I no longer needing her as much anymore. I just want her to be happy, and Arwin is a good guy. If he makes her happy, so be it. I mean, he's put up with us as long as you have."

"Very true. Well, I wish them both luck if that is what they both want. I think you and I both know how much better your life is when you're happy..."

Zack paused and smiled. "You can say that again, Moseby."

_Harvard Medical School, right before the lunch break._

The rest of the morning, Cody and Bailey as well as all of their new medical school classmates plus the thirty six incoming students to the school of Dentistry continued to sit through more and more speakers whose primary goal seemed to be to try to scare everyone as much as possible. And as the clock passed noon, the final speaker of the morning took the podium.

"Now, I know we have thrown a lot of things at you this morning that you are still trying to digest..." She smiled. "...so, the good news is that we are basically done here for today. Well, done listening to us speak anyways. If you will look in your packets you were given, you will each find a number and a letter. Make sure you find it as its very important. As for the letters, all medical school students should have an 'A' or a 'B', and all dental school students should have a 'D'. Since the incoming dental school class is so small, you all won't be broken up. But since we have one hundred and forty-four new med students, we are dividing you all up into two groups of seventy-two.

The numbers are very important too. We have further broken you down into groups of four. Dental students, you should have a number from one through nine. Medical students, you should have a number from one through eighteen. If any of you have a number that doesn't correspond to what you are, please speak up now so we can fix things..."

The speaker paused and waited for anyone to speak up, but no one did. So, she continued. "When we release you here in a few minutes, everyone needs to head out to the lobby. If you are a dental student, you will see numbers one through nine posted on signs. Find your number and meet your group there. If you are a medical student, listen carefully. Those in group A will head to the hallway on your left, and those in group B will head to the hallway on your right. Again, there will be numbers staggered along the hallways, so find your number and meet your group there. Make sure you get to know those people in your group as they will become permanent fixtures in your lives for the next two years. You see, not only are they your orientation group, but they will also be your group for all labs for the remainder of your preclinical years..."

She paused and laughed. "So, try to get along with them as best as you can. And to help things, we are asking for all of the groups to go out and have lunch together so you can begin to get to know each other. But everyone needs to be back here by two o'clock. At that time, we have second year students who have graciously volunteered their time to take you on tours around the medical school campus, take you to get your Harvard student ID cards made and then take you over to the Harvard Co-op so they can help you in purchasing your books. You all have your schedules, so you know what your classes will be now.

Now, when you get back after lunch, each medical second year will be escorting two groups. So, 1A and 1B will be together, 2A and 2B and so on down the line. You may not have any classes with those in the other half for two years, but no sense in not starting to get to know them as well. Dental students, you'll all be lucky enough to have your own personal guides. Now, for the rest of the week, we'll all meet here together in the mornings like we have today, but in the afternoons, you will break into each of your halves. And beginning next Monday, we will periodically select a group and put them in a hypothetical situation to see how you would react to a real life situation. But don't worry if you have no idea what you are supposed to do just yet..."

She laughed. "...because in four years, you will. Now, I will release everyone to go meet your groups, and I look forward to seeing everyone again bright and early tomorrow morning – if we haven't already scared you away."

After everyone was dismissed, Cody and Bailey gathered their things and headed out into the lobby. Once there, they took a right and walked down the hallway until they saw the number '8' posted on the wall. Finding their place, they stood there and waited for their group to show up. A moment later, a young woman about their age stopped in front of them. And for some reason, she looked really familiar to the both of them.

"Is this 8B?"

Bailey smiled. "Sure is. I'm Bailey, and this is Cody."

The young woman sighed in relief. "Thank goodness I found it. I'm Gabby. I..."

Before she could continue, someone else stopped right in front of them. "8B?"

The first three there nodded, and the young man smiled. "I'm C.J."

"That's Gabby, that's Bailey, and I'm Cody. Nice to meet everyone as I'm sure we'll all get to know each other quite well."

Gabby spoke up. "How about we continue this over lunch? I'm starving..."

Bailey nodded. "Sounds good to me. There is this little hole in the wall place down the street. Its cheap, and we should be able to get in with no problems."

Everyone else agreed, and they headed off. And once in side, they all sat at a table and placed their orders. They were about to resume getting to know each other when their waitress did a double take and walked back to their table.

"Oh my gosh! Its you! You're Gabby Martinez! I watched every single second of you in the Olympics! Would you mind giving me an autograph?"

Gabby just smiled and signed the waitress's ticket pad. "Sure thing."

"Thank you so much! You're food will be right up, and I'll tell the cook to make sure he does the best job he's ever done!" And with that, she hurried off.

Bailey laughed. "Well, I guess that explains why you look familiar now. We heard that you would be matriculating here, but we had no idea you would be in our little group..."

"We?" Gabby paused. "You two knew each other before today?"

Cody smiled. "You could say that. We were married last month."

"Oh, that's so cool that you both got into Harvard together."

Bailey laughed again. "Yeah, and lucky for us that Harvard puts married couples in the same group together."

Cody spoke up again. "And since your Martinez, and we're both Martin..." He turned to C.J. "...I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess your name starts with an 'M' too..."

He laughed. "C.J. McDonald here. I guess even with Harvard's reputation, they still found alphabetically to be the easiest way to split us up..."

"Seems that way..."

Gabby spoke up. "Okay, I have to ask. No offense, C.J., but you don't look any older than my brother, and he's only 19."

He sighed. "I'm even younger than that. I just turned 18 two weeks ago..."

She frowned. "18? How in the world...?"

"I kind of sort of skipped a few grades growing up. I graduated high school when I was 13, Stanford when I was 16, and I got my PhD in neurobiology this past May..."

"Wow!" Gabby turned to Cody and Bailey. "What about you two? Where did you guys do undergrad?"

Bailey smiled. "Yale. Both of us have bachelor's in Biology and Ethics, Politics & Economics. What about you?"

"I grew up in Arizona, but I went to UCLA. I know its a good school, but compared to you three..."

Cody laughed. "Yeah, but something tells me you have extracurricular activities that will put all of ours to shame..."

Gabby sighed. "That was only three years ago, but it seems like a whole lifetime ago. I had surgery on my knee again this summer, but the doctor told me I would never compete ever again. While I'll be able to live a normal life, I have been forced into retirement at 22. But, my doctor was so cool, and she kind of inspired me to go into to orthopedics myself so I could at least still be around athletes. What about you all? Any specialties chosen yet?"

C.J. nodded. "I plan on being a brain surgeion...just like my father."

"Well, I want to go to pediatrics, but Cody hasn't chosen anything in particular yet."

Gabby laughed. "Married a month, and she already speaks for you?"

Cody nodded. "Its just easier that way. You get used to it."

"I'll take your word on that."

"But, it is nice to say that I now know three gold medalists from the London games."

"Oh yeah? Who else do you know?"

"Deron Williams and Kevin Love from the basketball team."

C.J. turned to him in surprise. "You actually know those guys?"

"Yeah, I met them when I was in high school. The manager of the cruise ship we went to school on is a half brother of Dwight Howard. They came to visit with him."

That got Gabby's attention. "Wait a minute! You went to high school on a cruise ship?"

Bailey smiled. "We sure did. It was the educational experience of a lifetime. Instead of just reading about places, we actually got to go see them firsthand."

C.J. sighed. "Man, that sounds like so much fun. I hated high school with a passion. Of course, it might have been because I was several years younger than the rest of my classmates. It was the same way in college. And most people my age wanted nothing to do with me. They thought I was a freak, and the nicest name they would call me was 'Sheldon'..."

"From the _Big Bang Theory_ television show?"

"You got it. That's why I had no bones about moving all the way across the country to start over again..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, when you're a brain surgeon by the time you're 25, you can rub it all in their faces."

Gabby sighed herself. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with C.J. that high school sucked. I was always in training. I had no time for friends or dates or even TV. I have no idea what the _Big Bang Theory_ even is..."

"Whoa...Well, you have time now to do whatever you want. I know Harvard Medical School isn't the place you're supposed to go to feel average, but think of it now as a place where you both can finally just be yourselves and do whatever you want to do..."

After lunch, the tour of the campus and lugging their books and supplies back from the Harvard Coop, Cody and Bailey finally returned home about five o'clock that evening. Once they had put away their new books and medical equipment (thankfully paid for by their scholarships), both flopped back on their bed to catch their breath.

"Interesting first day, huh?"

Cody nodded. "You can say that again. And I'm thankful Harvard was picking up the tab on all of our stuff. We might have had to sell a kidney each otherwise..."

Bailey laughed. "True..." She paused. "But I can help but think about our new group mates. I guess I never realized just how good we had it in high school and college. Yeah, we worked hard, but we still had time to be ourselves and be with each other. I kind of feel sorry for them both."

"I can see that, but its like you said. They now have either the time or the space to be and do whatever they want to do."

"Yeah. I mean, it might have been nice to have skipped some grades though like C.J. did..."

"Not me..."

She turned to look at him. "Seriously? You wouldn't have skipped any grades?"

He smiled. "Of course not. I loved high school. I had the adventure of the lifetime and met you. I would trade any of that for anything."

Bailey smiled back at him. "When you put it like that, I wouldn't either. We're doing just fine right now as it is. Who needs a PhD or a 'real' gold medal anyways?"

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "Not me. I may never have a PhD, but I do have a PhB..."

"A PhB? What's that?"

He grinned. "A Pretty hot Bailey..."

Bailey blushed and let out one of her infamous giggles. "Good one, Mr. Martin..."

Cody just gave her a look. "I know it was bad, but you didn't have to fake one of those..."

She shook her head. "I didn't, Sweetie. That was actually a real one..."

_To be Continued..._

**AN: I had the idea of adding an Olympian join the story while watching the opening ceremonies. Little did I know that the name I had chosen would be shared by an American gold medalist gymnast. So, I'm just saying there is no connection between my character I created and that individual. As such, as of right now, I don't plan on ever saying what she got a gold medal in. Anyways, I know I have someone asking me to update my other stories, and I will...eventually. Unfortunately, it won't be anytime soon, sorry.**_  
_


	3. Little Sisters

_Chapter 3_

_"Little Sisters"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Harvard Medical School, the following Tuesday afternoon _

After returning back from their lunch break, Bailey, Cody, C.J., and Gabby were on their way back to the smaller auditorium where their 'B' section would continue on with their two week Introduction to the Profession class. The ladies headed back to grab their seats as the guys decided to hit the restroom up before they started back. Over the past week, they had learned from the dress down that a fellow classmate got that getting up someone was talking was extremely frowned upon. So, they thought it best to try to avoid that at all costs. And while the first day of orientation had been about about trying to scare everyone to death before sending them on their way to attempt to form bonds with people they had never met before, the rest of the first week had actually been fairly educational. But after the past day and a half, everyone was quickly coming to the conclusion that the second week was going to become quite tedious rather quickly. So, as Bailey and Gabby waited for Cody and C.J. to return from the bathroom, they sat in their seats and chatted to pass the time.

Gabby laid her head back against her seat. "So, what else is there left for them to tell us? Most of this morning was just a repeat of last week. I'd rather we go ahead and start our real classes than sit through any more of that..."

Bailey shrugged. "I can't disagree with you there. While I can't say I enjoyed this rerun of this morning, I have to imagine that things have to start changing soon. I mean, we do still have our final group projects to be graded on. Even with us split into two sections, there are still eighteen groups in ours."

Gabby sighed. "Oh yeah...I had almost forgot about those. Lets hope they start them sooner than later. At least with those, we'll actually be getting to do something besides sitting here and listening to them rambling on and on and on."

"Tell me about it. Hopefully, when they ask us for feedback when this is all over, they give us plenty of room to make suggestions for next year's class."

Gabby gave her a funny look. "You actually fill out those things? I hated those things in college. I usually just rate everything a four, write that it was fine and then move on with my life."

Bailey laughed. "Of course I do! If we don't tell them what was bad, how will they know what they need to work on in the future?"

"Yeah, I guess I can see that. I've just never known someone who actually took those so seriously before."

Bailey looked at her funny this time. "Why wouldn't I? Cody and I both take our time to write detailed critiques. In fact, he even takes it more seriously than I do. And not just with classes either. Unless its a special occasion, he always fills out one of those comment cards they leave on restaurant tables."

"Are you serious?"

"Oh yeah..." She paused. "Cody has a long history of getting kicked out of restaurants for his suggestions or complaints. Back on the boat, the ship's manager had a map where he would mark off countries in which Cody had been thrown out of places. But that never stopped him. We both feel that places should do the best they can. If we hold ourselves to such lofty standards, we don't feel bad expecting companies in the service industry to do the same."

Gabby laughed at that. "No wonder you two seem to get along so well..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, its more than just that. We're blessed in that we have a lot in common and enjoy doing the same things. We also tend to think alike on most issues. Besides, beyond him being my husband, he's also my best friend. We find comfort in that we can just be ourselves with each other."

She sighed again. "That must be really nice. I really envy you two in having each other to lean on like that. Like I said before, I've really not had much time in the past to have a personal life."

Bailey smiled at her again. "Well, you do now. I know you have to take your studies here seriously, but I have to think you'll have more free time on your hands than you're used to having."

"While that's true, I don't thing its going to be that easy for me. In case you haven't notices, I'm kind of in a unique situation here..."

"What's that?"

She just gave Bailey a look. "Come on. People don't really know me, but they think they do after watching me on TV for two weeks three years ago. Even worse, they would think getting a date with me would make them look like a big shot or something. They would be asking me out for all the wrong reasons. I don't want that..."

Bailey paused to think about that. "You know, I hadn't really considered that before. I guess there are some perks to living a fairly anonymous life after all. You quickly learn who really cares about you instead of having ulterior motives..."

"Exactly! I mean, I've only known you and Cody for a week, but its obvious to me how much you two love each other. I want someone to look at me the same way you two do at each other. I want someone to love me for me and not for something I did when I was eighteen..."

"Well, all I can say is that there has to be someone out there somewhere who will fit the bill. You just have to find them. I know I got lucky to find mine when I did. But you're only 22, so you still have plenty of time to find your special someone."

Gabby nodded. "I guess so, but for now, I think I'm just going to focus on my education..." She chuckled. "I mean, so far in my life, I have learned I'm pretty good at focusing on just one thing and excelling at it..."

Bailey laughed. "I would say you've proven to be...golden at it."

She turned and gave her a look. "Please tell me you just didn't say that..."

Bailey paused and shuddered. "Sorry about that. Cody's jokes can be really bad at times, and I guess he's rubbed off on to me some."

"So, you're saying I have two more years of bad jokes like those to look forward to?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately. Sorry again."

Gabby laughed. "Don't worry about it. It actually feels kind of normal. I like it. Besides, it could be worse. I mean, if what you say about Cody is true, you have a whole lifetime of jokes like that to deal with..."

"Yeah, but I don't mind it at all. He totally makes up for with other things he's really good at. I do admit that at times I think he's getting better, but then he'll tell me one that makes me roll my eyes again. There was this one joke about mimes he told me over our honeymoon that might have been his worst one to date."

"I'll take your word on it, but I'll pass on actually hearing it. Lets change the subject though. So, you two have big plans for our long weekend off before we really get started next week?"

Bailey laughed. "I guess you could say that. My youngest sister starts her undergrad here at Harvard next week too, and we're picking her up at the airport this evening. She wants a few days to acclimate to Boston before she moves into her dorm this weekend."

"Makes sense."

"Anyways, she and I are going out shopping on Friday for the final few things she still needs before we help her move into her dorm on Saturday. And while were doing that, she's bringing in a cat from our family farm that will be living with Cody and I. He's taking him to the vet that day to get neutered..."

Gabby winced. "Poor guy..."

"I think the cat will eventually get over it."

"No, I was talking about Cody. My dad did that to our family cat growing up, and the cat never forgave him..."

"Really? That's not good."

"What's not good?"

Both ladies turned to see Cody and C.J. taking the seats right behind them. "Oh, hey Sweetie. Ummm, Gabby and I were just talking about...you know...girl stuff."

Cody held up his hands. "Enough said." He turned to C.J. "Here's an educational tip for you. When women say they are talking about girl stuff, no matter how curious you are, don't ask what that is! You really don't want to know. I kept asking once and I immediately regretted it..."

C.J. nodded. "Oh, I already knew that. The one perk of having an older and a younger sister. Unfortunately for me, they are the extent of my knowledge of the so called fairer sex. Being so much younger than everyone else that I went to school with didn't make me very popular with the ladies either..."

Cody smiled. "Don't worry about that. Growing up, I would get tongue tied and nervous around girls. My twin brother used to give me pure hell about it. All it takes is finding the right one to make things so much easier." He paused and laughed. "And now, its him coming to me and asking for advice. Its one of those delicious little twists of irony in life..."

Bailey and Gabby laughed but C.J. shook his head. "That's nice and all, but since I'll be here all the time, I don't foresee things changing too much. Everyone here is at least four years older than I, and we aren't anywhere near the main part of campus. The only girls my age on this campus would be the daughter of the dean or something like that..."

"Yeah, I would avoid getting involved with the daughter of the dean or a professor at all costs!"

"Personal experience?"

Cody sighed. "Sort of but not really. You see, back on the boat, the President of Harvard came aboard with his daughter and my brother, Zack..."

But before he could finish what he was going to say, a voice boomed over the PA system.

"If everyone will take their seats, we'll get started on this afternoon session. And we know you all must be getting tired of listening to us talk, so we're going to change things up now. For the next three afternoons, you all we be doing your final projects you've all heard so much about. As we have eighteen groups, we need to get started this afternoon so we can get them all in. So, for a half hour each group, we as your future professors are going to get to see what we have to work with in you guys. And by drawing a random number out of hat, the first group to go is lucky number...eight!"

Gabby and C.J. groaned while Cody and Bailey smiled. As they walked up onto the stage, the professor speaking smiled at them.

"You four have to go first, so we'll be a little easier on you all than everyone. We're going to give you a relatively easy one. So, here is your situation. The four of you are over at the hospital riding the elevator up from the cafeteria after grabbing some lunch. In the elevator with you is a pregnant woman on her way to see her doctor. Suddenly, simultaneously, the elevator stops working and the woman's water breaks. All hell begins to break loose. Now, tell me, what do you do?"

Cody just turned to Bailey and just grinned.

_Zack and Maya's suite on the 23__rd__ floor_

About six o'clock that evening, Maya was finally returning back to their suite after yet another day of work. She absolutely loved her job, but part of her couldn't wait to start school back just to break up her routine a little. The whole summer, she had only had one week off, and that had been her week in Hawaii for Cody and Bailey's wedding. And in addition to working, she had been taking two different summer school classes, and her second one had just ended the previous week. So, she was now working full time until school started back the Tuesday after Labor Day. But unlike Zack, she wasn't going to get a full week off before classes resumed. All she was going to get was a four day Labor Day weekend. And that Friday of that would include a trip to the bookstore to get her books which didn't sound very fun to her at all. But she thought if she wasn't going to get any time off to do nothing then Zack didn't need in either. And when she entered the suite, she saw a sight that made her shake her head.

"How long have you been laying there on the couch?"

Zack turned, looked at her and sighed. "About five minutes. I just got back up from taking all of the furniture in Cody and Bailey's old bedroom down to the storage area in the basement."

"That took you all day?"

He gave her a look. "Yeah. When I was doing it by myself, it took me a long time. The mattress and box springs weren't the easiest things to handle and move around, but I was finally able to tie them to a luggage cart. After that, disassembling the bed was a snap. And the two end tables weren't bad. But I spent all afternoon trying to get that dresser out of here."

Maya couldn't help but to laugh. "I told you I would help you with that when I got home."

Zack glared back at her. "When did you tell me that?"

"This morning when I woke you up briefly before I left to head to work."

He groaned. "You should know by now not to tell me anything when I'm half asleep that you expect me to actually remember!"

She laughed again. "Well, maybe that will teach you a lesson for rubbing it into me yesterday that you did absolutely nothing!"

Zack sighed again. "Lesson learned..." He sat up. "And its not like I actually had any fun yesterday. You were gone at work all day. Cody and Bailey were in class. Mom was busy. I called both Woody and Marcus to play some video games online, but Woody was at work and Marcus was hard at it working on his new musical."

Maya sat down next to him. "Well, you should have expected that. Face it, Zack – we're all grown ups now with responsibilities. Even you."

"Me? I'm still in school!"

"You're in grad school. Of those of us still in school, all of us are in grad school of some sort. You're in business school. Cody and Bailey are in med school. Tapeworm is in grad school. Even I'm finally going to begin taking graduate level classes this semester."

"I guess that's true..."

She smiled. "Hey, think of us as the lucky ones. Instead of going straight from undergrad to the real world, we have this buffer zone. Yeah, we'll be working harder than we did on undergrad classes, but we won't be working as hard as we would working forty hours a week. View this as a time to gradually get yourself used to working harder and harder."

"Yeah, Moseby has said something similar to me. But he's not the one who's not letting me have a last week to do whatever I want..."

"Awww, my poor baby. Tell you what though. As soon as you finish up the list of chores I have for you, you can have the rest of the week off."

"Thanks, Babe. I..." Zack paused and gave her a funny look. "Wait a minute...what list of chores?"

Maya grinned. "You did wonder why I had you empty out the other bedroom, right?"

"Not really...I figured it was just my punishment for something..."

"Well, it was. But I've spoken with Arwin, and he said there were two desks down in the basement we could move up here. I liked the set up Cody and Bailey had in their dorm last year, so I figured we could do something similar here."

He groaned. "Great...My back is already hurting thinking about it."

"Quit complaining. I'll help you move the desks up tomorrow when I get off work." She laughed. "Now, you're not half asleep now, so you should remember that."

"Ha ha..."

"But, I did have some free time today, and I went ahead and ordered us some bookshelves, desk lamps and desk chairs. I need you to go pick them up tomorrow and then put them together. And after that, I have a list for you to go grocery shopping as we're almost out of food around here. And then, I have a few more errands for you to run. And once your done with all of those..."

He cut her off. "Maya! You're killing me here!"

She grinned. "No, I'm just getting you used to having several things that you need to get done. I'm teaching you the valuable skill of multitasking and dealing with deadlines."

Zack sighed again. "Wonderful..."

Maya kissed his cheek. "But just remember...you get all of things done, and you'll be free to do whatever you want the rest of the week. And when you're done, I might have a little surprise for you..."

He paused and smiled. "Oh yeah? A good surprise?"

"I think you'll enjoy it."

"Sounds good to me!"

"Good." She paused and laughed. "I wonder if anyone has figured us out yet?"

Zack paused again to think. "Well, Moseby noticed I've been in a good mood lately, but I think he would rather not think about why. Other than that, I think we're covered..."

"Except for Cody and Bailey of course..."

He gave her a look. "Why would they know?"

"Because I went with Bailey to get my birth control shot..."

"That doesn't mean they know though!"

"True...unless you've told them."

Zack laughed. "Yeah right...After all the hell I gave them, they would give it right back to me tenfold. No thank you!"

Maya laughed too. "Well, its not like you wouldn't deserve it."

"Yeah, yeah..." Zack paused and grinned. "While were on the subject though..."

She shook her head and smiled. "Uh uh. You've already told me how worn out you are, Babe. I wouldn't want you to fall asleep on me."

"Well, I think I'm catching my second wind..."

She patted his leg. "Its okay, Zack. You've had a long day. I wouldn't want to do anything to make it even worse." She yawned. "Besides, I'm kind of worn out too. I'll definitely take a rain check though. We both need our rest tonight, Honey. We both have long days ahead of us tomorrow..."

_Logan International Airport, 7:27 PM_

After getting out of class that afternoon, Cody and Bailey had a couple of hours to kill before they had to head out to pick up her sister, Amy at the airport. While she was going to be their guest for a couple of days, they were more focused on getting their place ready for who she was bringing with her. By a quarter til six, both were satisfied with what they had gotten done. They had placed a litter box in the laundry room down in the basement so Albert would have some privacy, and they placed a cat bed they had bought for him to down in guest bedroom. Plus, they had put up some perches in various windows so he would have places for him to watch the world outside while they would be gone during the day. Bailey and Cody really hoped he would like all they had set up for him, but they had to get moving on to the airport and didn't have time to change anything.

Once they got to the airport, they double checked which baggage claim Amy's flight's luggage was supposed to be coming through on and found a bench to sit back and wait right next to it. At a quarter after seven, they checked the monitors again and saw that Amy's flight had just landed. And once what appeared to be passengers began approaching the area, they stood up to try to find her, and a few minutes later, they spotted her. Both welcomed her with hugs - until Cody had to pull back.

"What's that smell?"

Amy sighed. "I was afraid of this..."

"Of what?"

"The guy sitting next to me was a rancher, and it seemed like he brought his work onto the flight with him. I'm just glad to be breathing fresh air right now, but it seems like his BO wafted over on to me..."

Bailey laughed. "Well, we'll get you back to the house ASAP so you can grab a shower and get cleaned up."

"Sounds perfect to me! I'm so glad to be away from the smells of the farm for a little while!"

"Well, we can stop and grab some food on the way back. Are you hungry or did you eat on the plane?"

Amy laughed. "Yeah right! They wanted five bucks for a small bag of peanuts. I passed."

Cody laughed too. "Tell you ladies what. You two decide what sounds good, and I'll run out to pick up after I drop you two off."

"Good idea, Sweetie."

Amy shook her head and smiled. "Married less than two months and you already have him trained so well..."

Bailey laughed. "Oh, I had him trained this well way before we got married..."

"Now that I think about it, I guess you did..."

Cody looked back and forth between them. "Ummm...I'm standing right here!"

"We know, Sweetie." Bailey turned back to her sister. "So, are you excited? You've finally left home to go off to college. I can still remember coming to Boston four years ago before we headed off to New Haven."

"Yeah, I think I am. Though, there will be a slight change of plans for Saturday. I got a letter from Harvard in regards to my housing situation. I'm still scheduled to have the same roommate as before, but they've switched us over to a different dorm. From what I saw of it online, it looks nice enough, but its kind of weird that there will only be 27 of us freshmen living there. Seems kind of small."

"That does seem small, but then again, we're more familiar with Yale's dorm system than we are Harvard's. Besides, I'm sure you'll end up loving it there though."

"I sure hope so. Now, has my other stuff gotten here yet?"

"Yeah, it arrived on Saturday. Everything except what you have with you now and what you get on Friday is already packed up and ready for this weekend."

"Good." Amy paused. "You know, it was kind of weird living out of a suitcase for a week while I was still at home." She shrugged. "Well, anyways, I see you two have survived your first week and a half of medical school..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, but its just been an orientation class. And after today, we're pretty much done with it for all practical purposes."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, each group is put into a scenario to see how they respond as a final group project. Ours was this afternoon, and I don't want to brag, but we nailed it!"

"Congrats then. What did they have you do?"

"Well, we had to show what we would do if we got stuck in an elevator with a pregnant woman who went into labor."

Amy frowned. "Wait a minute! That's the same thing that happened to Cody and his brother in real life a few months ago..."

Cody grinned. "I know. After experiencing the real thing, a hypothetical scenario was a piece of cake. We did have to explain to our group mates afterwards how we knew what to do. They thought it was hysterical."

"Ahh, yes. The Olympic gold medalist and the wonder kid. What are they like?"

Bailey shrugged. "They're just regular people who want to be treated like such."

"Well, yeah, but one is the best in the world at what she does and the other is my age and can call himself a doctor!"

"True, but they are normal people just like us..."

Amy gave them a look. "You two aren't normal..." She began laughing. "Just teasing you two..." She paused again. "But really, you two aren't normal..."

Cody turned to his wife. "Bails, you're going to have to help me out here as this is still relatively new to me. What's the best way to torture a little sister?"

Bailey smiled. "Oh, I'll teach you all the best ways to do that. Our older sisters did it to me, so I know a few things. Besides, I assume you learned a few tricks from Zack..."

Amy gulped as she looked back and forth between them. Luckily for her, just then, the conveyor belt on the baggage claim began moving, and she let out a nervous laugh. "Well, would you look at that? My bags as well as the pet carrier should be coming soon. I think we should go over at get them right now..."

So, they did. And a few minutes later, they had Amy's two bags plus the pet carrier. And when Cody looked inside of it, he saw a cat sprawled out on its back dead to the world.

"Is he okay?"

Bailey opened the gate and reached inside. "Yeah, he still has a pulse. I'm guessing Momma whipped up a batch of an old family recipe to knock him out for his flight. We used to have to use it on Uncle Leroy when it was time to take him to the doctor. If he is anything like Leroy, Albert should be awake in a little while."

Cody was concerned. "Will there be any side effects to this old family recipe?"

She shook her head. "There shouldn't be any. There never were with Uncle Leroy..." She paused. "Well, there was that one time when he..." She paused again when she saw the look on Cody's face. "You know, its not important."

"If you say so. Lets get out of here then. But to be on the safe side, I'll have the vet check him out thoroughly on Friday just to be sure. No offense to your Mom, but I'd rather have actual medicine used instead of home remedies. Those things never tend to work anyways..."

_To be Continued..._

**AN: Sorry for the delay in posting. I know this is slow getting started, but I had to set up all of my dominoes before I began tumbling them over. Anyways, if anyone knows a competent football coach, please contact UK. As good as our basketball team was, our football team sucks. The basketball team only lost two games all year, but the football team will be lucky to win two!**


	4. The Great American Past Time

_Chapter 4_

_"The Great American Past Time"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Place, Friday Afternoon_

After a full day out and about the Boston area shopping, Amy and Bailey finally returned back to the townhouse, and both were exhausted. With London demanding to go along with them, according to her, to watch out for Amy's best interest, they had been to numerous stores all over the metropolitan area that day. Fortunately, she had picked them up in her limo, so they had their transportation taken care as well as not having to worry about lugging bags back on the subway. So, about five o'clock, they were finally back home, and, even though she felt like doing nothing, Amy did immediately busy herself trying on everything one last time before removing the tags. And once she did, per Bailey's suggestion, she put everything in the washing machine before slumping down on the couch next to her sister.

Amy sighed. "I have to say...I've never been on a shopping trip like that before."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, with London along, they can be very tiring. Fortunately for you, some of the stuff we bought today was actually for you. Back in high school, she would drag me along to be her pack mule and carry all of her bags back to the ship for her..."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, but after she made me carry all of her luggage when we went to Thailand, those shopping trips were a piece of cake in comparison..."

Amy paused. "Okay...I'm surprised she didn't get one of the guys to do that..."

"Oh, she did. She has used all of us in one capacity or another. But as her roommate, I did get the brunt of it. Anyways, I think you're definitely ready for any occasion Harvard life can throw at you now."

"I think so too. I have to admit, I really liked that one vintage store we went to. I know London rolled her eyes at it, but it had a lot of good deals on stuff that were more my style."

She smiled. "Trust me, from my four years at Yale, I noticed how in vogue that style of clothing is. While some of the things you chose definitely aren't my style, I'm pretty sure the two campuses probably have a similar outlook on things."

"Well, I'm just glad we went shopping for my new laptop and things like that last night. I'm too worn out to head back out tonight."

"Your new stuff will be in the washer for a little while, so just sit back and take it easy. But, remember, we do have people coming over tonight for a last bash of summer cookout."

"Oh yeah...is there anything I can to do help out for that?"

Bailey shook her head. "Nah. Cody pretty much prepared everything last night when we got home. He was supposed to defrost the hot dogs and hamburgers this morning before he left for the vet clinic. If he did, he just has to begin grilling once everyone gets here."

Amy sighed. "I sure do hope the Harvard dining hall is as good as yours was at Yale. Of course, eating my brother-in-law's cooking the past few days has probably spoiled me too."

Bailey grinned. "One of the added perks of being married to him."

"Yeah, yeah...rub it in why don't you?"

"Amy, its like you said before. You have the all the opportunity in the world to find your own feller now. Just remember that appearances can be deceiving. What might look like a nice enough guy on the surface might just be the outer shell of a psychopath. We met a few people like that at Yale, so they'll probably be some of those at Harvard too."

Amy laughed. "Gee...thanks, Sis."

"You know what I mean. I know I'm lucky that I've got a feller who is as beautiful on the inside as he is handsome on the outside. You want to make sure you find you a good one inside and out. Don't let appearances be deceiving. Someone who is beautiful on the inside can only make their outer appearance be more attractive."

She smirked. "Well, I was planning on finding me a real loser who looked like the Elephant Man, but now that you said that, maybe I'll change my approach..."

"Ha ha."

"Bailey, I may be your little sister, but I'm not an idiot. I mean, you remember how I took care of myself when it came to Squirrel, right?"

"I do, but I just want you to remember not all bad guys are as stupid as he was."

Amy sighed again. "I'll be fine. Besides, you and Cody already gave me a small can of mace to put on my key chain and another one to keep under my bed. Plus, you've both showed me a few moves so I would know how to defend myself. Bailey, I can take care of myself..." She paused. "Though, it was kind of funny seeing Cody sprawled out unconscious after using the sort of Vulcan death pinch..."

"I know, but its my job as your older sister to keep an eye on you. I mean, look at Cody and Zack. They both give each other more grief than anyone else, but if someone picks on one of them, I know they have each other's back. I want you to know I have yours too."

"I know you do, but trust that I can watch my own back." She paused. "Speaking of Cody though, I wonder how things went at the vet earlier."

Bailey paused. "I don't know. I hope..." But before she could finish her thought, both of them heard a loud scream. After briefly looking at each other, both got up and run down the stairs to garage. And in the middle of the room, they saw the pet carrier on the floor and Cody hopping around holding his arm.

"Sweetie? Are you alright?"

Cody sighed. "I think so. I just got back, and when I let Al out of his carrier, he decided to show me how much he hates me right now..."

Bailey walked over and took a look at his arm. She gasped when she saw the large scratch that he had almost from his elbow to his wrist

"Oh my gosh! Does that hurt?"

He winced. "A little bit. But not as bad as the scratch on my other arm he gave me earlier when I tried to get him in the carrier in the first place. I guess he was being an equal opportunity arm scratcher..."

She shook her head. "Hold on, let me go get some antiseptic wipes, some Neosporin and some bandages..." She turned to her sister. "Would you get Albie out of here so he doesn't attack again? I think you'll have better luck dealing with him since he knows you better."

A few minutes later, she returned with their first aid kid and began cleaning Cody's wounds. "Okay, this is going to sting a little bit..." After he winced again and gasped out, she apologized. "Sorry, Sweetie. I guess I was hoping he wouldn't take this so personally against you."

"Well, he is. Right now, he absolutely hates me. Bails, you should have seen the absolute look of hatred he was giving me once he woke up from the anesthesia. If I had been a mouse or a bird, I would have been dead..."

"It'll get better, I promise. In a few days, Albie will forget all about this..." She mumbled under her breath. "I hope..."

"I sure hope so, Bails...and all of my appendages would agree. I know hindsight is 20/20, but I'm really wishing we had gotten him de-clawed now too."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know you do, but keeping his claws will be much better for him in the long run."

"If you say so. And if I'm perfectly honest, I can't really blame him all that much. If someone neutered me, I'm pretty sure I'd hold a grudge for a long, long time too."

She laughed. "Well, if anyone tried, they'd have to deal with me afterwards."

Cody smiled at her. "Thanks, Bails. You know, after today, I'm starting to think that Bob Barker is full of it..."

She just gave him a look. "Okay, what brought that on?"

"Well, he's always saying to get your pets spayed and neutered. Isn't it hypocritical of him to say that and then surround himself with all of those models? And then there are those rumors people have heard about him and that one that he supposedly had an affair with. Isn't that a huge case of do what I say and not what I do?"

She laughed. "I guess in some ways it would be, Sweetie."

"Thanks. I'd like to punch him in the face myself right now like in that movie. I'd tell him the price was wrong too..." He sighed. "I should go put on a long sleeved t-shirt though. I doubt people would want to have their food cooked by someone with all sorts of big bandages on their arms."

"Probably a good idea. But don't worry, Sweetie. Before you know it, you and Al are going to be the best of friends..."

Cody just gave her a look. "Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it!"

_A Couple of Hours Later_

By six o'clock, everyone began arriving. The first three to arrive were London, Maddie and little Zoey. Seems Todd and Trevor had become good friends over the summer and were enjoying a warm afternoon out on the golf course. They would arrive once they finished playing and got cleaned up. And as they were in the kitchen with Bailey as she was heating up some of the side dishes, Maya and Zack arrived as well.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Still on the golf course or otherwise not here yet."

Zack paused. "Well, actually, I meant am I the only male here right now?"

"Other than Albie, yeah." Bailey laughed. "Cody is up on the roof top deck getting the grill ready..."

"Ummm...I think I'll head up there to give him a hand." And with that, he made a quick exit. About the same time he did that, Amy appeared finally from switching her new clothes over to the dryer, and she yawned as she walked into the kitchen.

London just shook her head. "We're really going to have to build up your shopping endurance if today has worn you out that much..."

She shrugged. "I guess so, but to be fair, the only time in my life that ever came close to today was that one Black Friday I spent here in Boston a couple of years ago. I'm not used to things like that back in Kettlecorn."

Maddie laughed. "Don't worry about it too much. My first time with shopping with London just about killed me too. It does get easier...eventually."

Maya turned to her. "So, you ready to move into your dorm tomorrow and begin classes this week?"

"I think so. I am a little concerned that my dorm was built in the late 1890's. That doesn't sound very modern to me."

Bailey laughed. "By Boston standards, that's considered relatively new. Besides, I'm sure they've modernized it some over the years. I'm pretty sure it will have electricity and running water."

Maya nodded. "Very true. And it probably means it has character like the dorms at Yale did. On the other hand, my dorm room at BU was all concrete. If they had put bars on the windows, I couldn't have told the difference between it and Sing Sing..."

Amy frowned. "Sing Sing? What's that?"

She laughed. "Its a prison near New York City. Since you're from Kansas, I should have used Leavenworth..."

"Oh...OHHHH." She shuddered. "That doesn't sound all that nice..."

Maya laughed again. "It wasn't. Which is why I now love living at the Tipton."

Maddie just smiled. "So, Amy, have you figured out a schedule for your first semester yet?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so. The other night, Cody and Bailey sat down with me. We went through the Harvard website to figure out what I had to take, and I believe we came up with a pretty good one."

Maya smiled. "Well, if they helped you, I'm sure it will be just fine. They were the masters of scheduling while at Yale."

"So I've heard. Basically, Harvard has these nine areas of classes that most majors require you to have one class in at least seven of them. Even though I have no idea what I want to major in yet, it made sense to go ahead and try to knock out as many of them as I can my first year. So, I'm taking a sociology class, a psychology class and an expository writing class which will take care of three of them for me. As for some of the other requirements, fortunately for me, Bailey and Cody advised me before I started high school to take as many AP classes as possible, so I tested out of a preliminary math and foreign language classes too."

"Good for you. Once I started college, it quickly dawned on me that I wished I had taken more of those myself."

"Yeah, it looks like really good advice now. My fourth class is a science class, and I decided to take a class in Evolutionary Biology. Due to some archaic law back in Kansas, this will be the first science class I'll ever take where the subject of evolution can legally be taught. I did write a paper on it for my Biology class in high school, and you should have seen the look on the teacher's face when I handed it in..."

Bailey smiled at her sister. "Well, at least you won't go into it completely blind then. And as Cody and I were both Biology majors, just let us know if you need any help with anything."

Maya nodded. "Take them up on it! I'm not sure I would have gotten through my physics classes without them..."

"Oh, I will. And then my fifth and final class will satisfy my foreign cultures requirement. It will be a class on modern society and culture in the Middle East area. With everything that is going on in the world, I thought it would be interesting. Plus, its another subject Kettlecorn schools didn't focus on. I did a paper on it too and always wanted to learn more."

"I thought you were going to take your freshman seminar?"

"Oh, I was, but I saw there was one taught in the spring that dealt with trying to understand the language differences between men and women. After what you guys told me a couple of Christmases ago, I thought that sounded extremely interesting."

Maya laughed. "Take good notes then! I'd be interested in seeing what all is said in there."

And one by one, the other ladies (except Zoey who was asleep) nodded their agreement with what Maya said.

"I mean, I know Zack pretty well, but I wouldn't mind having some tips for the few times when he completely baffles me."

London sighed. "You and me both. It would help me with not only Todd, but with Moseby and Daddy."

Maddie laughed. "Well, I don't think I need to tell anyone that Trevor and I have had our troubles understanding each other in the past."

And with that, everyone paused and looked towards Bailey. And upon noticing it, she frowned. "What?"

"Oh, come on! You don't think that would be useful as well?"

She paused. "If I say yes, will you stop looking at me?"

Everyone rolled their eyes and sighed. "Newlyweds..."

"Its not that, but I just feel that Cody and I are completely open and honest with each other. If he does something that confuses me, I just ask him about. Simple as that."

London rolled her eyes again and turned to Amy. "Well, like I said earlier, she's beyond help now, but there's still hope left for you."

_Up on the Roof_

Cody was putting the finishing touches on scraping the grill and getting it cleaned up before he was ready to use it again. And while he was doing that, the door to the roof top deck opened up, and he noticed his brother walking towards him very gingerly.

"What are you doing, Zack?"

He shook his head. "Getting away from the estrogen convention downstairs. You might not have much testosterone, Bro, but its at least more than there is down there..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. No, I mean why are you walking funny."

"Oh..." Zack sighed. "I've spent the last few days doing Maya's honey do list for me. Included in that was moving all of the old furniture out of your bedroom so we could convert it to a home office. Lets just say with all that lifting, I think I pulled a muscle in my back..."

"Ahhh...Gotcha."

Zack frowned when he noticed something. "What about you? Its still over ninety degrees out here, and you're in long sleeves."

Cody sighed as he pushed up his sleeves to show his bandages. "Al wasn't happy I got him neutered today and showed me his displeasure with that decision."

"Ahhh...Gotcha."

"How about we talk about something a lot more pleasant than our individual maladies?"

"Works for me. I'm all for speaking of something that doesn't suck..."

Cody grinned. "Speaking of which, congratulations on finally becoming a man, Bro..."

Zack gave him a funny look. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh please! Bailey and I saw that dopey look on your face in the lobby of hotel before we all boarded up to leave Hawaii the day after the wedding. We both know what happened between you and Maya that night before..."

Zack's eyes went wide. "You knew then?"

"Well, not exactly...I wasn't 100% sure why you looked that way, but Bailey told me she thought you had the same look on your face that I had the morning after in Virginia. Adding that with knowing Maya had gone to get a shot with with Bailey, and we put two and two together..."

He sighed. "Great...Alright, lets hear it. I gave you guys pure hell when I found about you two, so this is going to be my payback..."

Cody shook his head. "I'm not going to tease you about it, Zack. Why would I? You and Maya are in a committed relationship, and its only natural that you two took the next step. I'm actually proud of you."

"Really? You are?"

"Really." He paused and laughed. "Even though it took you over two years to finally catch up to me..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "I knew something was coming, and there it was..."

Cody laughed. "I kid, I kid..."

He paused as he thought of something. "So, even though you're married now, have things...you know...slowed down any...you know...in that regard?"

"Not any more than usual. I mean, I've heard those old jokes that saying 'I do' means 'I don't do that anymore', but I haven't found it to be the case."

"Good. Its just that...well, the other night, Maya shot me down."

Cody laughed. "So? That happens. Its completely normal."

"But I don't want it to be! I finally found something I enjoy more than sports or video games or napping!"

"Trust me, I know what you mean." He paused. "But you need to think about it like you do baseball..."

Zack was confused. "I thought you were supposed to think about baseball when...you know...you didn't want to think about it..."

Cody laughed again. "What I mean is that going in, you already know that a few nights a month, there will be rain outs..."

"Rain outs?" He frowned. "Why would there be..." His eyes went wide as realization hit him. "Ohhhhh..."

"Exactly! Beyond that, there will be other rain outs as well even though the weather looks perfect for a game."

"Why?"

Cody shrugged. "Just because. Remember, we aren't the ones who get to say 'play ball'. Our ladies do. We have to abide by their decisions."

"That sucks!"

"You get used to it. Fortunately, if you keep the field well maintained, those will be less and less frequent, and you'll get to play more often."

Zack smirked at his brother. "Isn't this the same conversation you didn't want to have the day of your wedding?"

Cody sighed. "That's not what I mean! I mean that if the field falls into disarray, the likelihood of a game is severely diminished. So, to keep it in good shape, you have to keep the romance alive. You know, every so often send her flowers out of the blue or buy her a little gift and say you saw it and thought of her."

"And that works?"

He grinned. "Oh yeah! And anything you can do to keep from getting yelled at and build brownie points is good."

"Like what else?"

"Zack, did you notice that I asked to have urinals put into the downstairs bathroom and in our master bath?"

Zack paused. "Yeah, but I figured you did that as it would conserve water or something like that."

Cody laughed. "While that is true, it also prevents me from ever getting a dirty look or yelled at for forgetting to put down the toilet seat..."

"Oh...Yeah, been there before..."

He grinned. "I learned my lesson when we lived together our senior years. So, I borrowed one Arwin's inventions. Every time you flush the toilet, it would automatically lower the seat."

Zack nodded. "Not bad...but did it actually work?"

"It did. I told him he should try to market it."

"Maybe I should talk to him later on then. Maybe he can make me one that is heated like the one you guys had in your dorm too. That was nice."

"Go for it. And then you can surprise Maya with it. That should build you beaucoup brownie points..."

"Hopefully..." He sighed. "You know, its not that I don't want to do things like that, but is there some kind of euphemism for a dome or retractable roof that will cut down on the number of potential rain outs?"

Cody shook his head. "None that I'm aware of. And remember, while in baseball being successful one out every three times makes you a hall of famer, not so much here. Only batting .333 would suck. That's why we have to do whatever we can to raise our averages."

"Yeah, I can see that. Its just...it was the first time Maya said she was too tired."

"Like I said, it happens. Besides, sometimes, you'll be too tired to play too and want a night out of the lineup."

Zack gave his brother a look of disbelief. "I seriously doubt that!"

Cody laughed. "Trust me...it does happen."

He sighed. "I'm kind of scared to see what your euphemisms for a pulled groin or performance enhancing drugs are..."

"Well, knock on wood, neither of us will ever have need for the latter. As for the first..." Cody smirked. "...I'm sure you have plenty of experience with that already."

"Ha ha..."

"Just another word of wisdom though, sometimes when the game is called off, it will be back on later without any warning to you whatsoever. So, a pulled groin could cause you some problems there..."

"Yeah, I can see how that would be bad..."

"Just remember though that its the woman you love, and appreciate as many games as you are allowed to play. We're both lucky to have gotten called up to really good teams, and we should never forget that fact."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He paused. "I'm not sure what bothers me more though. That I'm having this conversation with you or that you were able to successfully pull of a sports analogy..."

Cody laughed. "Well, after Maya used one to get through to you about Harvard, I figured I should give it a shot myself."

"Good point." He paused again as there was another topic he wanted to broach. "What about uniforms?"

Cody gave him a funny look. "Uniforms? I don't know about you and Maya, but..."

He cut him off. "Nothing like that! I just thought it would be nice if I surprised Maya by buying her something a little...you know..."

"Oh...Well, I had the same thoughts myself early on, but I didn't bring up that topic to Bailey for a long time. I didn't want her to think that's all I ever thought about..."

"When did you finally bring it up to her?"

"Let me think...I believe it was while we were down in Miami visiting Dad for that New Year's."

Zack sighed. "So...almost nine months later? Great."

"Well, you don't want to do it too soon or you'll give the impression that you aren't happy with how things are going..." He paused. "You are happy, right?"

"Of course I am!"

"Okay then. Well, just give it some time. And when you do, go shopping with her the first time. That way, you find out what she likes. I would think getting her something she didn't like could backfire majorly..."

He nodded. "I can definitely see that..."

"And to be honest, what you think you wouldn't like, you end up liking. For example, there is this one thing Bailey got at her bridal shower that has me totally reconsidering my stance on the color brown..."

Zack shuddered. "Too much info there, Broseph..."

Just then, the door opened again, and Maya walked out.

"Everyone is now here, so Bailey said to go ahead and begin cooking everything."

Cody held up his spatula and smiled. "We'll get right on it."

She paused. "What were you two doing up here anyways?"

Both brothers looked at each other and began laughing. "Oh...just talking a little baseball."

_The Next Morning_

Early that next morning, Cody was up early and made his way to the kitchen to get breakfast started. Of course, he also had to feet Al, so he fixed him a bowl of food and sat it down on the place mat they had gotten for him. Once that was done, he turned his attention back to the stove and the French toast he was making when he heard a growling sound. Turning, he saw Albert giving him a death glare as he began to eat. Cody paused before taking a few steps back. Realizing how stupid that was, he shook his head and sighed.

"Well, at least you're willing to be in the same room as me now even if you still have a murderous look in your eyes..."

"Nice to see you two bonding already..."

He looked up and saw his sister-in-law smiling at him.

"Yeah, well, we'll see how long this lasts. What about you though? Its barely six thirty on a Saturday morning. Something tells me you won't see this hour on a weekend again for a long, long time..."

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

He grinned. "Excited about finally moving into college, huh? I remember the day your sister and I headed off to Yale. I was so excited I was bouncing off the walls...even if we were heading right into a hurricane."

Amy sighed. "Something like that..."

Cody paused as he studied her. "You don't sound so enthused. What's up?"

"Its nothing..."

"If you say so, but I am your brother now, so pull up a stool and take a load off if you want."

She sighed again. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure you'd understand."

"Well, try me."

Amy paused as she debated whether or not she should. "Well, I guess I've been looking forward to this day for so long that now that its finally here, I'm a little scared."

"Of what?"

"Cody, I've been looking forward to going to college and getting off the farm for years. Now that the day has finally come, I can't help but have all of these worst case scenarios run through my mind..."

"Such as?"

"What if I can't handle Harvard? What if I'm a spectacular failure?"

He just gave her a look and shook his head. "Looks like I'm going to have to give this speech again..."

She gave him a look of confusion. "What speech?"

"Earlier this year, Zack was scared to death about going to Harvard's Business School because he thought he couldn't hack it either. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Harvard accepted you for a reason. They think you can do this. Your parents think you can do this. Your sister thinks you can do this. And I think you can do this."

"Yeah, well we both know the real reason they let me in. You know...give the rural girl a shot and it will look good for diversity."

Cody shrugged. "So what if it is? You still have the opportunity of a lifetime right here. Besides, I've seen you in action. I have no doubts you'll do just fine. I saw the number you pulled on Moose and Squirrel. That was impressive. Plus, you were able to get the two best universities in the country to get in a bidding war with each other over you. That takes some brains right there!"

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Besides, you're having the same butterflies that everyone else probably has right now. Just take your studies seriously and you'll be just fine."

"Maybe..." Amy paused. "But academics aside, I won't know anybody there."

He smiled. "We're right here. Plus, a lot of people won't know anybody else either."

"You and Bailey did. You two had each other. I'm sure it was nice knowing you had the other to lean on when it got scary."

"That's true, but we met other good friends there too. Remember, Bailey didn't know Gertie either, and now, three and a half years later, those two are now great friends. I bet you and your roommate will get along great too."

"Maybe. All I know about her is that her name is Elizabeth and she's from Kentucky..."

Cody laughed. "Well, right off the bat, you two already have three things in common."

"Like what?"

"Well, you're both from a state that starts with a 'K', you both have names that start with a vowel, and you both share names with characters from _Little Women_."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh great. That'll give us something to talk about for about thirty seconds."

He laughed again. "Hey, I've never said meeting a new roommate for the first time is always easy. I mean, I was worried about how I was going to get along with my roommate at Yale. Now, other than your sister, I've never had a better roommate than Tapeworm."

"Well, yeah, but you two knew each other from a long time ago!"

"Okay, how about your sister then? Yeah, besides Gertie, she's also become good friends with other roommates as well. You saw that yesterday with London. She was even Bailey's maid of honor. And if that's not enough for you, look at my roommate on the boat. Can you imagine two people more different than Woody and me?"

She paused. "Well, no..."

"And look how well that turned out. Woody is a big goofball, but he's one of my best friends. And like I said, no two people could have been more different than Bailey and London, and they're wonderful friends now too."

"I guess you're right about that..."

Cody smiled. "So, any other worries? I know Zack works best with sports analogies, so I could try to think of one for you if that will work..."

Amy laughed. "I don't think so. Thanks, Cody. Its nice to know I have such a cool big brother...even if you aren't normal. I will admit, I will miss your cooking though. I'm glad I will get one last good meal in me before I go."

"Well, I promised your Mom I would make sure you were well fed when we dropped you off today."

"I appreciate that. I guess the only thing else I'm worried about is making new friends and then dealing with guys. Will my accent cause people around here to make fun of me?"

"Not people you want to spend any time around. I mean, if they're good natured about it, it should be fine. Heck, your sister makes fun of my accent all the time."

"Yeah, but that's different."

He grinned. "Well, maybe you'll find someone who it will be different with as well. Besides, I love Bailey's accent. It drives me wild."

"Stop right there! I don't need to hear anything else..."

Cody shrugged. "If you say so. But, if you do meet what you think is a nice guy, I do expect you to let us meet him."

"Why? Because you promised Daddy?"

"Well, there's that. But your also my little sister now. I've never had one before, but I'm pretty sure being overprotective is part of being a big brother."

Amy sat there thinking about that. "I guess that won't be so bad..."

Just then, Albert jumped up on the counter and began growling at Cody again.

Cody flinched. "Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. I'll protect you from bad guys on campus if you protect me from him!"

_To be Continued..._


	5. Things Get Moving

_Chapter 5_

_"Things Get Moving"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Harvard's Campus, about 10 AM that same Saturday Morning_

Fortunately, having been through their own freshmen move-in weekend at Yale just four years prior, Cody and Bailey knew two things to be a certainty. One, everything would be very hectic with a lot of new people in a small space that had no idea what they should exactly be doing. Two, parking would be an absolute nightmare. So, when Arwin had offered the night before to pick them up in his van and drop them off right outside of Amy's dorm, they readily agreed. Yes, Cody was aware that it was a gesture on his part to get into his graces better due to the change in Arwin's relationship with his Mom, but he appreciated it none the less. Plus, there was a subway stop near the Harvard Yard where they could just catch a train back home later on when they were done. So, a little after ten o'clock that morning, the four of them finished unloading the last of Amy's things out on to the sidewalk in front of Amy's new dorm, Apley Court before thanking Arwin as he drove off. Once it was just the three of them, Amy pulled out her move in packet she had gotten from Harvard.

"Okay, according to this letter I got, I have to go get my student ID and my key over in Harvard Yard proper which is..." She looked up and nodded. "...that way...I think."

Bailey nodded. "Well, why don't I go with you while Cody stays here and guards all your things?"

Cody smiled and saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am! They will be more secure than Fort Knox...or London's penthouse."

Both ladies just looked at each other and shook their heads before heading off towards the yard. Fortunately, Amy had a strong trunk that afforded Cody a place to sit down as he waited. And as he sat there, he took the opportunity to do something he used to do at Yale - people watch. And like before, some of the expressions on people's faces were downright comical as it was obvious that they were completely lost. Before too long, a mini-van stopped right in front of him to drop off another future resident and her family. Fortunately for them though, they had found an open parking meter across the street and quickly pounced on it. And similar to Bailey and Amy, the mother and daughter headed off towards the yard with the father beginning to gather his daughter's things into a smaller pile.

"You might want to find a place to sit down and get comfortable. I've been waiting here almost twenty minutes now."

The guy looked over him. "Really? Twenty minutes? Its taking that long to get an ID and a key?"

Cody nodded. "From my experience it is."

He sighed. "Great. Well, I guess I should make myself comfortable and rest up for the actual move later on. From what I've read, this dorm doesn't have an elevator."

Cody shook his head. "I should have figured as much. And knowing my luck, I'll have to lug all of this stuff up to the top floor..."

The older guy laughed. "Same here. Well, I'm taking it that since you're here waiting and not getting an ID yourself that you're not the one moving in today."

"You would be correct."

"And since you're too young to be dropping off a child of your own, I'm figuring you're either helping move in a girlfriend, a sister or a friend."

"Close. I'm helping out my sister-in-law..."

"Ahhh, door number four. I should have thought of that one. But if I may say, you look kind of young yourself though. How long you been married?"

Cody smiled. "I'll be twenty-two next month, and my wife and I have been married about a month and a half now."

The guy laughed. "Now I understand. Welcome the wonderful world of being married. At times, it can be the best thing in the world, and at others, it can feel like a prison sentence. But, having been married about thirty years myself, I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing. And, at a month and a half, you're still in that early stage where you still don't mind helping out the in-laws."

"Well, I like all of my in-laws. They're good people."

"They all are early on." He laughed again. "They live around here too?"

Cody shook his head. "No, they all live back in Kansas."

They guy laughed again. "Good for you! Half a continent of separation is a good start!" He shook his head. "So, you out of school now yourself?"

"Not exactly. My wife, Bailey and I graduated Yale back in May, and we started Harvard Medical School two weeks ago."

"Well, congrats on that too. Yale and then Harvard. Very impressive."

"Thank you." Just then, Cody spotted Bailey and Amy walking towards and nodded towards them. "Well, it was nice talking with you, but I'm with those two. Might as well get this over with. Have fun moving in."

"Oh, I'm sure I will. You do the same."

A few seconds later, Bailey and Amy finally walked up to him. "You ready to begin moving stuff in, Bro?"

"Yeah, but let me guess. Your room is on the top floor, right?"

Amy gave him a funny look. "How did you know?"

"Call it a wild guess..." So, they all began loading up as much as Amy's stuff as they could. Fortunately, the years of moving into their own dorm had paid off for them as they were now old pros at figuring out to carry as much as possible. Fortunately, between the three of them, they managed to get everything up in one trip. But, to climb up four flights of stairs while carrying everything did take them quite a while. And when they finally got to her new room, Amy used her new key for the first time and opened the door. And when she saw what it looked like on the inside, her eyes went wide.

"Whoa!"

Right behind her, Bailey and Cody finished carrying her stuff in. Once they sat it down, they got a chance to look around as well. And once they did, both just shook their heads and groaned. "This is the room you get as a freshman?"

Cody grumbled. "Our rooms our freshman years weren't this nice...Our rooms our sophomore and junior years weren't this nice either..."

And he was right. The rooms they had in Lanman-Wright at Yale could have fit into this room at least twice over. Even the rooms they had their sophomore and junior years in Berkeley North were severely lacking compared to this place. Not only were there two small bedrooms, there was a large common room, and the room even had its own private bathroom.

Bailey could only nod. "You can say that again, Sweetie. Are all the rooms on campus like this?"

"I certainly hope not...or I may rethink killing Zack for getting me banished from here in the first place!"

"Don't worry, the other freshmen dorms aren't nearly as nice as this..."

Realizing there was someone else in the room with them, all three of them turned to see an older woman, an older man and a younger girl smiling at them. But while they were all strangers to Bailey and Amy, Cody instantly recognized the older man as his fellow bag watcher from down on the street.

"Well, well. We meet again. If I had known your daughter and my sister-in-law were going to be roommates, we could have gone ahead and moved everything up here while we waited..."

The guy sighed. "Yeah, that would have been nice..."

His daughter rolled her eyes. "Please excuse my Dad." She extended her hand. "I'm Beth Lucas..."

Amy stepped forward to shake it. "I'm Amy Pickett. Its nice to finally meet you."

Beth smiled. "Likewise...This is my mom, Beverly and my dad, Tom."

"This is my sister, Bailey and my brother-in-law, Cody. Seems like he and your Dad have already met..."

She laughed. "Looks like we both used them to guard our stuff..." She looked around their room. "But I do have to agree. This is a lot better than I ever could have expected."

Tom shook his head and sighed. "You should have. I told you the other day this dorm was built over a hundred years ago to house the children of Boston's elite. I fully expected it to be this nice!"

Bailey spoke up. "Well, you girls need to choose which bedrooms you want so we can start to get everything unpacked. If Harvard is anything like Yale was, I'm sure you two have some activities you have to be at this afternoon."

So, they did. Thirty minutes later, Bailey was putting the sheets and comforter on the extra long twin bed while Cody was busy setting up Amy's computer and printer. While they did that, Amy was putting her clothes in her dresser and closet (the fact that it was a walk in one really bothered Bailey after her closet issues back on the boat). By noon, everyone was unpacked, and met again in the common room. And that's when Amy and Beth looked around at how barren it looked.

Amy sighed. "I kept reading to pack less because you wouldn't have room for everything, but this room looks so empty."

Beth nodded. "You're telling me. I mean, its cool we have a fireplace, but it looks to be all boarded up. And we have absolutely no furniture in here..."

Bailey spoke up. "Well, we have our old futon from our dorm room down in our basement. You two are more than welcome to it if you want it. Trust us, it's survived three years in a dorm already, and its still in really good condition."

Amy smiled. "Thanks, Sis. That would be awesome." She looked around the room again before turning to Beth. "Even with that, I still think we're going to need more."

Beth nodded. "I think you're right..."

Beth's Mom checked her watch. "How long before you two have to be somewhere?"

At the same time, the girls checked their orientation sheets. " In five hours."

Tom turned to Cody. "You guys got a Sam's Club up here close by?"

"Not one of those, but about five miles east of here over in Everett is a shopping center with a Target, a Costco, a Bed, Bath and Beyond, and a Home Depot. Bailey and I even have a Costco membership."

"Perfect! Between those four places, we should be able to find anything these girls will need. Why don't we all load into our van and head over there. I'll even spring for lunch. And once we drop the girls back off here, we can head over to your place to pick up that futon."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

By four o'clock that afternoon, they had done everything they needed to do, and the girl's common room was looking much more homey if not festive. And now that it did, it was time for everyone to begin heading back to their regular lives and let the new freshmen begin their college experiences.

"Well, we have to be getting back home. Cody and I have some reading to do for our Molecular and Cellular Basis of Biology class on Monday. Unlike you two, we have real classes starting then."

Amy smiled. "Well, thank you both for helping me move in. I really appreciate it."

"Of course. Don't forget they we are essentially just across the Charles River and only a phone call away. And like we said – if you get tired of the food in your dining hall and want a home cooked one, just come on over. And Beth, that offer is extended to you as well. Cody's actually a really good cook."

She smiled. "Thank you. I might take you up on that."

"Besides, I'm sure you two have stuff you need to do plus I'm betting you two would like the chance to further get to know each other."

Bev nodded. "Bailey's right. And we should be getting on the road too if we're going to make it to Philadelphia before its too late." She turned to Cody and Bailey. "On the way up, we headed east through West Virginia and Virginia over to DC before heading north. Heading back, I think we'll cut back through Pennsylvania." She paused and shuddered. "Those windy, curvy roads through the mountains scared me. I'd hate to see what they were like when it was snowing..."

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other and grinned. "Yeah, we imagine they could get pretty treacherous..."

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

About the same time Cody and Bailey were leaving Amy's new dorm room, Maya was just getting back from a shift at the fit&rec center. Ordinarily, she didn't have to work on Saturdays, but one of the fit&rec center's swim instructors couldn't make in it that day for one reason or another. So, to help out, she went and filled in. And since she was now working exclusively in the rehabilitation center, it was fun for her to get teach some lessons once again. And when she walked into the suite, she found Zack laying back on the couch watching TV, and she just shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure you were in that same position when I left this morning..."

He looked up at her and smiled. "I've gotten up a few times to fix myself lunch or go to the bathroom."

"I sure hope so or else I'm not sitting on the couch again until its thoroughly cleaned!"

Zack laughed. "How was teaching swim lessons again?"

Maya smiled at him. "You know, it was fun. And speaking of lunch, thank you for having some sent to me. That was very sweet and thoughtful of you."

"Well, you know...that's me – Mr. Thoughtful."

She walked over, leaned down and kissed him. "I just want you to know how much I appreciated. Its nice to know that even though we've been back together well over two years now that you still do little things like that to show me how much you care."

"Of course I do. And I always will. If you ever think I'm slacking off in that regard, just tell me..."

"I will, and you do the same for me. But it really meant a lot to me that you did that..."

"Anytime." And to himself, Zack made a mental not that he owed his brother one. "Actually, I did something else today that I think you'll like even more."

"Oh yeah? What would be that be?"

Zack stood up. "Follow me into the bathroom then..."

Maya gave him a look. "Ummm...Zack...please don't be doing what I hope you are not about to do..."

He laughed. "Nothing like that. Come on."

Reluctantly, Maya did. And when they both got in there, Zack smiled at her. "Now, flush the toilet."

"Zack..."

"Just do it. You'll see why I asked you after you do."

Again, reluctantly, she did. Of course, her eyes went wide in shock when she saw the seat automatically lower itself. "Zack! What did you do?"

He grinned again. "Its one of Arwin's inventions. I asked him to install it figuring it would prevent you from ever having to yell at me again for leaving it up."

Maya just laughed. "That's...that's...well, I love it." She paused. "It won't electrocute me though, will it? You know some of his inventions have little...malfunctions every so often..."

He laughed again. "Nah, I've already broken it in, and it works perfectly."

"Well, that's good I guess. Anyways, I do appreciate your double dose of thoughtfulness. And I was actually trying to pay you back a little this afternoon, but I couldn't get a hold of you on your cell phone."

Zack laughed again. "Oh, I turned it off. I remembered Codester and Bailey were helping her sister move into her new dorm today. After all the heavy lifting you had me doing last week, I was scared they would call and ask me to help out. So, I figured if they couldn't get a hold of me, they couldn't talk me into it."

Maya shook her head. "Ever think of keeping it on and just screening your calls?"

He paused. "Well, I guess that could have worked. Why, what were you trying to do anyways?"

"Well, your favorite player on the Celtics was at the center today bringing his daughter in for swim lessons. I tried calling you so you could come down there and actually get to meet him."

Zack hung his head. "Oh man..." He groaned. "Why didn't you call me on the land line here and tell me?"

This time Maya laughed. "The land line? Zack, I've lived here for over a year, and I've only heard that phone ring once. And that was because the night desk guy patched in a call to the wrong room."

"Still...you could have tried calling me."

She gave him a look. "Alright, Zack...why don't you tell me what the direct number to our suite is..."

He paused. "Well, its...ummm...the number is..." He sighed. "I got nothing."

"Exactly!"

"You could have called the hotel's main number and asked them to connect you..."

She laughed again. "Okay, you've lived at this hotel for over ten years now. What's the hotel's main phone number..."

Zack paused again. "Touche, Maya...touche."

Maya leaned in and kissed him again. "Tell you what. Leave your phone on from now on, and the next time I see him in the building, I'll call you."

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"So, this is your last Saturday before school starts back. What do you want to do tonight?"

"Doesn't matter to me. I'm up for just about anything."

"How about we go to that party you got sent a notice of? You know the one where Harvard is having a get together for all first year students in their graduate programs. If I remember correctly, they're calling it a Booze and Schmooze."

He sighed. "But Maya, that probably will be just a bunch of nerds standing around looking at each other and not doing anything."

Maya smiled. "Zack, you're one of those nerds now. Besides, it might be fun to interact and go ahead and meet some of the people you'll be spending the next few years with."

"Doubtful..."

"Come on. All else fails, we'll at least know two other people there if Cody and Bailey are going."

He sighed again. "Yeah, like we never hang out with them..."

She gave him a look. and he shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, fine. But next weekend, we're doing something really fun. Its a long weekend, so we can do something on Saturday or Sunday."

"Sure thing. But it won't hurt you to go ahead and start building future contacts. You never know who you might meet there tonight."

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

Even though weekends were meant to rest up after long weeks, Cody and Bailey's Saturday had already been a very long one. After helping Amy move into her new dorm, they headed back to their place to get their reading done for their first day of real classes on Monday. Fortunately, they only had about sixty pages of reaching to do, and most of it was stuff they had already covered in one of their biology classes at Yale. So after they finished, while Cody cooked dinner, Bailey took the opportunity to play with Albert to try to tire him out before feeding him. Hopefully, he would be worn out and go to sleep afterwards. And after she filled up his food and water bowls in the kitchen and he began eating, Cody could only shake his head.

"Well, its nice to see he's willing to be in the same room as me if only to eat..."

Bailey smiled. "Cody...Sweetie...I told you to give it some time. Its only been a day since your trip to the veterinarian, so you can't expect him to get over it overnight..."

He sighed. "I know, but I'm worried that he won't ever get over it..."

"Look at it this way. The first time you met Dr. Hyden, you didn't like him very much at all. Now, it seems like you two already have a very cordial if not friendly teacher-student relationship."

"I guess that's true."

"Because it is. I'd never steer you wrong."

Cody smiled at her. "I know you wouldn't. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes too."

"Good. Because after the day we've had today, I'm starving."

He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling her close. "And I was thinking afterwards, you and I could have a little time alone. I loves having your sister around, but I like it better having you all to myself..."

She grinned. "Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking you...me...a bottle of wine...the hot tub...and all of the stars in the sky above us. What do you think?"

"Hmmmm. I do like the sound of that. But we might have to delay it for a little while..."

He gave her a look of confusion. "Delay it? Why?"

Bailey kissed his cheek. "Did you forget that tonight is the first Booze and Schmooze between all of the first year grad students?"

Cody groaned. "To be honest, yeah, I did forgot. Do we really have to go?"

"Yes, we do. I told Gabby on Thursday that we'd be there."

He hung his head. "Great..."

She lifted his chin. "But, we will only stay a little while."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah! Sweetie, I love the sound of your idea. We'll go for a couple of hours and then give the excuse of being tired from helping Amy move in today."

"How about only an hour?"

"Hour and a half?"

Cody leaned in and kissed her. "Deal!"

Bailey laughed. "You are way too easy..."

He winked at her. "I am for you..."

She kept laughing and shook her head. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Yeah, but so do you. And you knew that well before you married me..."

"You're right, I did..." She teased him. "What was I thinking?"

"I don't know, but the marriage certificate is already signed. You're kind of stuck now..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him again. "No place I ever want to be. Now, lets hurry up and eat. The quicker we do, the quicker we head off to this shindig, the quicker we get back here later..."

_Harvard Faculty Club_

A little after nine o'clock, Cody and Bailey walked into the Harvard Faculty Club for the initial Booze and Schmooze activity of the year. And holding her to her word, as soon as they walked into the place, Cody set the timer on his cell phone. Bailey just shook her head before they began walking through the area hoping to see anyone they recognized. And before long, they noticed Gabby and C.J. standing along a wall talking. Upon seeing them, they walked over to say hello. And when they noticed Cody and Bailey, Gabby shook her head.

"About time you two got here. I was beginning to think you two were going to be no shows."

Bailey laughed. "No, we just had a lot to do today before we could come. We helped my sister move in this morning before heading home to do our reading for Monday. Once we did that and had dinner, we came straight here."

Cody spoke up. "But don't be surprised if we don't stay long..." He let out a fake yawn. "We're both kind of tired after our day today."

C.J. just gave him a look. "Uh huh. Anyways, be glad you two actually got in with no problems. I was stopped at the front door for fifteen minutes before they would let me in. First, they wanted to make sure I was actually a med student. Once they did, they had to debate whether or not to let me in because I was only 18." He sighed and showed them his wrist. "Finally, they gave me a band to indicate that I was not to be served anything alcoholic..."

Gabby laughed. "Looks like water for you tonight then. But don't feel too bad though, that's all I'll be drinking tonight too."

"Why's that?"

"I've never had a sip of alcohol before in my life. You know, because of constantly being in training. I know I'm not anymore, but I'm not about to act stupid tonight around a bunch of people I have to deal with everyday for the next four years..."

Bailey nodded. "Understood. We might have one class of wine ourselves, but that will be all." She looked around. "So, these are all the first year grad students, huh?"

C.J. nodded. "Yeah, they seem to be a very...eclectic group."

Cody shrugged. "Well, we've always said we liked being around people who were as studious as..." But before he could finish his thought, he felt someone clasp him on the back.

"Broseph! About time we found someone here we recognized!"

Cody smiled. "Good to see you too, Bro. Zack, Maya, this is Gabby Martinez and C.J. McDonald. They're our fellow group mates. Gabby, C.J., this is my brother, Zack Martin, and his girlfriend, Maya Bennett."

After everyone shook hands, Maya smiled. "If I may say, Gabby, its a pleasure to meet you. I've followed your recovery very closely."

She gave her a surprised look. "You have?"

Maya laughed. "Yeah, but not in a creepy or stalkerish kind of way, I promise. You see, I'm currently at BU working on a joint program that will get me a BS in Athletic Training and a doctorate in physical therapy. I figured your physical therapists would have you on all of the latest of techniques, so I kept up to date on it to see what they were doing."

Gabby took a deep breath and laughed herself. "Okay, that I can understand. But, you did scare me there for a second." She paused and turned to Zack. "And I can definitely tell that you and Cody are twins..."

He shrugged. "Give it some time, and you can easily tell the differences. For example, I look good. But on Cody, almost the same look just doesn't work..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "I disagree..."

C.J. spoke up. "Well, I can tell Cody is taller too. That just reinforces the studies I've read where younger brothers tend to be taller than their older ones." He paused. "I guess that works even if there are only minutes between the births instead of years."

Cody grinned. "Well, for once, I'm glad I was born second then..."

Zack shook his head. "Ha ha. Come on, Codester, lets go find the bar then." He turned to Maya. "What sounds good to you, Babe?"

She paused. "Get me a vodka and Red Bull."

"Will do."

Cody turned to Bailey. "White or red?"

"Red." She whispered to him. "We'll save the white for later..."

C.J. spoke up. "I guess I can go get a water. You want one too, Gabby?"

She smiled. "Sure, if you don't mind."

Once the guys left, Gabby turned back to Maya. "So, how did you get into physical therapy?"

"Well, my Dad is an agent, so I grew up around athletes and sports. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't good enough in anything to make a go of it on a competitive level, but I always found watching them go through rehab fascinating. So, I see this as a way to stay around sports and help athletes out in my own way. I even work three afternoons over at the aqua therapy pool at BU."

"Kind of the same here. I know my career is over, but I want to go into orthopedics so I can sort of stay in the game too."

Maya smiled. "Well, maybe someday you can send some clients my way after you're done with them?"

"Maybe. Do you want your patients to hate you or to like you?"

"I want them to dislike me yet respect me. I want them to dislike me because I worked them hard. Because if you don't work them hard, their injuries will never heal properly. At the same time, I want them to respect me so they know I have their best interests at heart and keep them coming back so I can help them."

Gabby smiled. "Good answer. I saw my doctor on Friday, and he wants me to do more therapy. Is there anyway you can get me in over at BU so I can see how you work first hand?"

"Well, you're not a BU student, but if you don't mind me playing up your past accomplishments, I don't think it will be a problem. I can ask my boss on Monday though just to make sure. If you give me your number, I can call you once I find out."

"I would appreciate that." She paused. "Mornings are out due to classes as are Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. And our Patient/Doctor I class will be on Wednesday afternoons, so Mondays and Friday afternoons would work best."

"I'll see what I can do, but I'll be there on those afternoons to help out, so they work for me too. I..."

Before she could continue though, the three ladies were interrupted by what appeared to be a very inebriated guy.

"Hello, Ladies! I'm Victor, and this is your lucky day! You see, I'm a first year law student, so I'm quite the catch..." He turned to look at Bailey and grinned. "Now tell me...did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nope. My HUSBAND was there to catch me..."

He shrugged and turned to Maya. "Now you...if I was in charge of the alphabet, I'd put you (U) and I (I) right next to each other..."

Maya shook her head. "I'd convert to the Greek alphabet then. There is no you (U) in it..." She paused. "But if you want, we can wait for my boyfriend to come back to beta your butt or I can kappa your knee right now."

He cringed. "No thanks..." He finally turned to Gabby. "You..." He paused. "You kind of look familiar to me. Now, are those mirrors on your jeans? Because I can..."

She cut him off. "Stop right there. I may not be lactose intolerant, but if you keep throwing around cheesy lines like those, I soon will be..."

"Boyfriend or husband?"

"Nope, but definitely not interested in you."

He shrugged and hiccuped. "Must be a lesbian then..."

She rolled her eyes. "If not being interested in you means I'm a lesbian, then I'm proud to be one!"

"Whatever..." And with that, he stumbled off.

Gabby just stood there and shook her head. "Unbelievable..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, but he's doing exactly what you were afraid of doing. Come Monday, he'll be known as that drunk jackass..."

"True..." She laughed. "I sure am going to miss having the excuse of being in training to get rid of jerks like that. Guys actually respected that instead of calling into question your sexuality..."

Across the room, drunk Victor was stumbling around still when his buddy finally found him.

"There you are! I go to the bathroom for a minute and you disappear on me!" He held his nose. "And, dude, you reek of alcohol! I think its time to get you out of here before you do something you'll really regret."

He hiccuped again. "Yeah, lets bolt. I tried to talk to those three stuck up babes over there, but all of them turned down a fine specimen like myself..."

His buddy looked over and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh my God...its her!"

"You know one of them?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. We went to high school together until she disappeared right before our senior year."

Victor shook his head to try to clear it. "Wait a minute! Is that the one you were always talking about? The proverbial one that got away?"

"Yeah, that's her. I never got the chance to tell her that I always had the biggest crush on her. For years, I was relegated to the friend zone. And when I thought I was finally going to get my chance to bust out of it, she up and vanished on me."

"So, what are you going to do?"

The guy paused. "Not blow this second chance I've been given..."

_To be Continued..._


	6. Cat Scratch Fever

_Chapter 6_

_"Cat Scratch Fever"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Harvard Faculty Club_

All three of the ladies were still standing there and laughing at how cheesy and pathetic the drunk idiot was that tried to hit on all three of them when the guys finally returned with everyone's drinks. And once everyone had theirs, they happened a group of people standing up from a table over against a wall. Immediately, the six of them pounced on it like a pack of hyenas on a gazelle. It wasn't that they didn't mind standing, but given the option of sitting down, they were obviously going to choose to do that. And once everyone was situated, the ladies filled in the guys on the story of the drunk guy who had recently paid them a visit.

Zack couldn't help but laugh. "Wow...I haven't head pick up lines that cheesy and bad since...well...since the Codester here was thirteen..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, Zack. Even I don't think I was ever that bad."

Bailey couldn't help but laugh at that herself which caused her to get a look from Cody. "Are you trying to say I was?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Sweetie, you were at times. But, fortunately, I was able to see past them. Nowadays, I think they're sweet."

Zack laughed again. "Yeah, lucky for you, Bro."

Cody sighed. "Well, thankfully, I'm married now and will never have the need to walk up to a total stranger and try to spew some kind of pick up line like that ever again."

Bailey gave him a look. "You better not! If you have the urge to use any, just used them on me from now on..."

He smiled. "Count on it."

C.J. shook his head. "Well, if you find any that actually seem to work, let me know. Unfortunately for me, I'm not married nor do I have a girlfriend. So I can use all the help I can get. But, run them past Bailey first to make sure they aren't too cheesy. I wouldn't want..."

Before he could finish though, he was interrupted by someone walking up to their table. "Maya? Maya Bennett? Is that really you?"

Maya turned and saw a guy standing there. While he did look slightly familiar, she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. "Yeah, I'm Maya Bennett. Do I know..." But she stopped in mid-sentence when it suddenly dawned on her who it was. And once it did, her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Oh my gosh! Will? Its really you!"

He grinned. "In the flesh. I saw you from across the room, and I could have sworn I saw you. I was pretty positive, but I wasn't 100% sure though..."

Maya got up and immediately gave him a hug. "Oh, wow! How long has it been since we've seen each other? Over five years now?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, it has. I walked into homeroom to begin our senior years of high school, and I realized something was different. After years of sitting behind you in home room, I couldn't help but notice that you weren't there. I figured you were probably sick or something, but after a few weeks, you still hadn't shown up. I finally asked the principal if he knew anything, and that's when I found out that you were no long enrolled in school there."

She paused before nodding. "Yeah, at the last minute, I got the chance to spend my senior year at Seven Seas High School on the S.S. Tipton. I couldn't turn down going to school on a cruise ship. I only had about a week to pack up everything I owned before I was supposed to meet the boat, so I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to everyone. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not sure I could have turned down something like that either. I'm just pleasantly surprised to run into you here of all places. I pretty much thought this party would be pretty boring."

"You wouldn't be the only one who felt that way. Anyways, since you're here, I'm guessing you're in grad school here at Harvard now."

Will smiled. "Sure am. Come Monday, I'll be a 1L over at Harvard's Law School. What about you?"

She laughed. "Me get into Harvard? I don't think so. Actually, I'm a student over at Boston University, but my boyfriend here is beginning Harvard's Business School this semester." She paused and groaned. "Where are my manners?" She turned to Zack. "Will, this is my boyfriend, Zack Martin. Next to him is his brother Cody and Cody's wife, Bailey. Both of them are first year students over at Harvard's medical school. And next to them are Gabby and C.J., two of their friends from med school. Everyone, this is Will Benson. Will and I went to school together from the third grade all the way up to our junior years. And like he said, for eight years, he sat behind me in homeroom and numerous classes due to alphabetical order."

Everyone shook hands, but while he shook everyone's hands, Will couldn't help but focus all of his attention on Zack. Needless to say, he wasn't too happy to hear that Maya already had a boyfriend. But while he didn't have to like it, he vowed he wasn't going to let that get in the way of his second chance at his dream. "Well, if you are friends of Maya's, then its a pleasure to meet all of you..." Immediately though, he turned his attention back to Maya. "Now, as for you, Miss Bennett, the last thing I had heard about you before tonight was that you had left to head to Africa for two years for the Peace Corp."

Maya sighed and nodded. "Guilty, but I only ended up staying there for a year..." She turned to Zack and smiled. "My heart was telling me I was meant to be somewhere else."

Zack smiled back at her. "And it was right."

Will held back the urge to roll his eyes and gag. "Good for you then."

"What about you though? I haven't heard a thing about you..." She paused. "Or anyone else we went to school with for that matter. You've said you're starting law school soon, but how have you spent the past five years?"

"Oh, I matriculated to Princeton and graduated with dual degrees in government and economics. Actually, I met a real good friend of mine there who is starting law school with me. We actually have our own bachelor pad across the street from the law school." He paused and grimaced. "Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure you've already met him..."

"We have?"

"Yeah, he was the one who made an ass of himself around you three ladies. Ever since I've met him, he's had a problem holding his liquor..."

Maya frowned. "You're actually friends with that guy?"

"Yeah, but to be fair, he's really a good guy when he's sober. Don't worry though, he and I will be having a talk in the morning about him needing to cut back. I actually just got back from putting him in a cab and sending him home."

"Good idea..." Maya paused. "But, I guess I can't really judge him too much as Zack and I probably weren't much better when we celebrated our 21st birthdays last year."

Zack laughed. "How would you know? I don't think either one of us remember much of that night."

She laughed too. "Well, I guess that's true. But, from what Amanda has told us, I hear we were quite...amusing."

Will shook his head and laughed as well. "Maya Bennett intoxicated. I would have paid to see that."

"Yeah, well, don't count on ever seeing it again. I've learned my lesson."

"Fair enough. So, what about you? Are you living over in the dorms at BU?"

Maya smiled and shook her head. "Nah. I lived in them for two years, but for the past year, Zack and I have lived together in a suite over at the Boston Tipton Hotel."

He looked at her in confusion. "Wait a minute? You live in a hotel?"

She laughed again. "Yeah, we do. I know it sounds kind of strange, but there is a long story behind it."

Again, Will didn't like hearing that Maya and Zack were living together, but he tried to push it out of his mind. "Well, I'd love to hear it sometime. I mean, its been so long that I'd love for us to get together sometime to catch up each other on our lives. Maybe next weekend? It is a three day one afterall..."

"I don't know. I promised Zack earlier tonight that we'd do something the say goodbye to the summer with a bang. I'm not exactly sure what our plans are going to be just yet, but we'll probably end up doing that on Saturday. Tell you what though, how about we have a cookout up on the roof of the hotel to celebrate Labor Day on Sunday. We can eat burgers and dogs and celebrate the fact that college football is back." She turned back to the table. "Gabby and C.J., we'd be honored if you two would join us as well."

Gabby and C.J. looked at each other and shrugged. "Sounds good to us."

Maya turned to Bailey. "And invite your sister and her new roommate too. Well also invite Carey, Arwin, Moseby, Tutt, London and everyone else. The more the merrier."

Bailey nodded. "I'll call her in the morning."

"Good." Maya paused. "How did that go this morning anyways? What does a Harvard dorm room look like?"

Cody shook his head and sighed. "Almost as nice as the one we had our senior years at Yale..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Private bathroom and each of them has their own bedroom." He glared at his brother. "Thanks again for getting me banned from Harvard undergrad, Bro..."

"Oh, quit complaining about that already. Everything worked out for you in the end."

"I guess..." Cody was about to say something else when he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. Realizing that it meant that they had already been there for an hour and a half, he began formulating an exit strategy. "I...ummm..." He stopped and let out another fake yawn. "Wow, I guess all that work moving in just caught up with me..." He checked his watch. "Is it just me or is it getting kind of late?" And with that he nudged Bailey under the table with his foot.

Doing her best not to laugh, she faked a yawn too. "Yeah, I guess it has been a long day for the both of us. Would you guys be offended if we called it a night."

Zack rolled his eyes. "I'm not buying it! You two just want to go home and have some alone time together. Codester, that's the..." He paused as he thought of it. "...best idea I've heard all day!" He faked a yawn too. "You know, Maya...I'm kind of worn out too."

She shook her head and laughed. "Says the guy who did nothing all day but basically sit on the couch and do nothing..." She paused to look around the soiree. "But, this so called party is kind of dead..."

Gabby nodded. "You can say that again. Besides, unlike those two, I still have to do my reading for Monday at some point tomorrow. I think I'll call it a night too so I can get up early and get it over with."

Will looked around and watched as everyone seemed to be agreeing to call it a night, but he wasn't ready to let Maya out of his sight for the evening just yet. Plus, the thought of Maya heading home alone with that Zack guy was not sitting well with him. "Well, the party is kind of lame. How about this instead? Why don't we all head out and grab some food? I hear there are some pretty good places just off the yard that are open late."

Maya smiled. "Ordinarily, I'd be all for that, but Zack and I ate just before we came here. So, we're still stuffed. But give us a raincheck for some other time?"

"Sure thing. I guess just seeing an old familiar face after so long, I'm reluctant to say goodnight."

"Awww. That's so sweet, but then again, you always were. But next weekend will get her before you know it. We can catch up some then..." She pulled out her cell phone. "Give me your number, and I'll give you mine. I'll call you once we have some more definite plans for Sunday."

Zack spoke up. "Just remember we have plans for nine o'clock that night, Babe..."

She looked at him in confusion before laughing. "Oh yeah! Whatever we do, we'll have to wind things up or take a break one at nine o'clock. Sunday night is going to be epic! How could I have forgetten about that?"

Will looked at her in confusion. "What's going on then?"

Maya smiled. "Zack and I are both huge fans of the show Big Brother. At the beginning of each season, we both do a sort of fantasy draft of three players after the first episode. Whoever between us has a player lasting the longest gets huge bragging rights for the next year. And if one of our players actually wins the whole thing, we have another little side bet for that. This week, the last player I have left has the whole house against him and has to win the Head of Household or Power of Veto or else he will probably be sent packing. I can't have that happen since Zack still has two of his left."

"You actually watch that show? Its pure drivel!"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but its one of our guilty pleasures..."

Zack laughed. "Speak for yourself. I'm still trying to get on that show myself. I can lie, cheat, and manipulate with the best of them! I would dominate! They'd end up calling me Evil Zack..."

Cody sighed. "Unfortunately, I would have to concur with my brother on that. I can't think of anyone who can lay around a house for an entire summer doing nothing like he can..."

Zack turned to Will. "You can ignore my clone there. He hates that show too. He and his misses prefer that other one..."

"Survivor?"

Bailey laughed. "Hardly. I love Cody to death, but I know he'd never last a day on that show. I've seen first hand that his survival skills aren't necessarily the best. Actually, we prefer the Amazing Race. Not to toot our own horns, but I think that is a show we would dominate."

Cody nodded. "Very true. We're both experienced world travelers, we're smart, and we're both fluent in several languages..." He smiled. "And we know how to survive long nights either stuck in an airport or having to make due with less that ideal conditions. Not to toot our own horns, I think we'd easily be among the final teams."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, up until the sprint at the very end. I know you're in better shape nowadays, Bro, but Bailey would still have to carry you across the finish line..."

He faked a yawn again. "Well, unless she wants to carry me out of her tonight, I think we should be heading home."

Maya nodded. "Well, everyone have a good night and good luck with school this week. We'll see you next weekend."

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

About an hour later, Zack and Maya finally returned back to their suite at the Tipton. And despite what she had said before they left the party at the Harvard Faculty Club, both were walking in with ice cream cones they had bought just outside of the subway entrance near the hotel. Once back inside, both crashed into the couch as the licked up their delicious frozen treats.

Zack just grinned and shook his head. "If there's anything better to help me forget how totally lame that party was than chocolate pudding ice cream with sprinkles..."

Maya shook her head. "The party wasn't that lame."

"Of course it was! For one, it was put on my a university. They're willing to sacrifice anything that could make it fun to keep themselves from being liable for anything that might happen later. Two, other than you, the only other people I knew there were my brother and sister-in-law. If those two can't wait to leave a party, you have to know how bad it was!"

"Well, I think they had other things in mind tonight that sounded like more fun."

"And I actually agree with them for once!"

She laughed. "I know. But it was like I said – you never know who you'll meet at one of those things."

He nodded. "Ah yes...that Bill guy."

"That's Will."

Zack teased her. "That guy wasn't one of your 'six', was he?"

Maya laughed again. "Of course not. Its like he said, we were just friends for a long time. You know, its possible for a guy and a girl to just be friends. I thought you had learned that from your friendship with Amanda."

"Yeah, and we hang out with her and Jake from time to time. That guy, I've never heard you mention him once in the five years I've known you..."

She paused. "Yeah, I guess I haven't, have I? I know it doesn't make me sound too good, but I guess out of sight, out of mind. Still, you would think if we we're such good friends we would have kept in touch with each other..."

"Why didn't you?"

Maya shrugged. "I don't know." She paused to think again. "I take that back. I think it was because once I got to Seven Seas High, I wanted to distance myself from everything back in New York. Well, everything except my family..."

Zack paused this time. "Yeah, about that. You've never really talked about your time in New York before you came to the ship before."

"Not much to tell. I went to a Catholic school kind of like what Maddie did. Though, ours was called Sacred Heart. It was small and was a K-12 kind of place. But other than some nuns who would get a little overly enthusiastic with rulers, it was pretty normal..."

Zack just looked at her and smiled. Maya noticed this. "What?"

"Oh, I was just picturing you in a Catholic school girl uniform. I've got to admit, I'm liking the vision I have in my head, Babe."

Maya just shook her head. "I'm sure you are..."

He kept grinning. "You still have it?"

"Maybe packed away in my parents' house somewhere. I doubt it fits me anymore though. That was over five years ago and might be a little tight nowadays..."

His eyes went wide. "You have to look for it the next time you're there!"

She rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

Zack grinned. "I know, but I also know its my turn to pick our Halloween costumes this year. You've given me a great idea."

"Ummm, not its not. You picked out Bonnie and Clyde last year. Its my turn now..." She grinned. "And just for that, I think I have the perfect costumes in mind for this year..."

He sighed. "Well, as long as its not as a clown again. I think I can handle anything but that again."

Maya laughed. "Famous last words."

He paused. "There is something else I was wondering though. You made it sound like you left in sort of a rush to get to the boat. Why was that?"

She paused before sighing. "Lets just say that recent events in my life then made me want to start over somewhere new as soon as possible..."

"Recent events? What happened?"

"Lets just say I found out the guy I had just started dating was already running around on me..."

"Oh..." Zack took her free hand in his. "Sorry, Babe...sort of."

She gave him a look. "Sort of?"

"Well, yeah. If he hadn't, you wouldn't have run off to the boat and met me. It sucks what happened to you, but I could never be sorry about anything that brought you to me."

Maya smiled at him. "Thanks, Zack. That may be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me. It really means a lot to me that you way say that."

"Anytime. Besides, he must have been a real idiot to do that..." He paused. "You didn't catch them in the act of anything, did you?"

She shook her head. "No, actually, Will and I were just hanging out when I received a text message on my phone. Pictures of him and another girl were attached to it..."

"What were they doing in the pictures?"

"Hugging each other and then laughing a lot. It was obvious they weren't strangers..."

Zack frowned. "That's it?"

"What do you mean is that it?"

"Well, sometimes a snapshot doesn't tell you the whole story. I mean, you remember Cody and Bailey telling us one of the tricks that Theo tried on them right? He took a picture of Cody out helping Gertie shop for a Christmas present for Tapeworm. Not to defend the guy, but maybe it was a friend of his or maybe a cousin?"

Maya paused to consider that. "That could be true. I guess I had tried to forget about everything so much that I didn't put two and two together. You think I would have though..."

"Well, what did that guy say when you confronted him with the pictures?"

She winced. "Well, nothing. I never did show him that I knew. Two weeks after it happened, I was on board the ship..."

Zack just looked at her. "Are you serious?"

Maya sighed. "Yeah. But to be fair, I was sixteen and really immature then. Plus, I hadn't had the best of luck with guys up to then. I was beginning to think I was cursed when it came to the romance department."

"So, is that why you kept shooting me down when we first met?"

"Yeah. I was afraid of putting myself out there again. Zack, every relationship I had been in up until then had ended up with me getting hurt, and I was scared it would happen again. I guess that was the part of the reason I bailed when we graduated. Even though I knew I loved you, I was scared that my curse would come back with us separated by such a great distance..."

Zack wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I guess I can understand that."

"But when I was in Africa, I realized immediately I had made a mistake. I knew I had something different with you. I had something real. I felt things for you that I had never felt before."

"I know that feeling..."

She smiled at him. "And now, I'm a lot wiser and mature...I hope. I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

"You're darn right I wouldn't!"

"Nor would I to you..." She paused. "You know, now that I am thinking about everything again, I'm kind of glad everything happened the way it did. I can truly appreciate what I have now. While what I went through royally sucked, I made out like a bandit in the end."

He laughed. "Thanks...I think."

She gave him a look. "Do I have to prove to you how lucky I know I am?" She grinned. "You know, I do have that rain check to cash in..."

He grinned too. "Far be it for me to refuse you service then..." He paused. "But Babe, if you ever have any questions or concerns about me, all I ask is that you talk to me first before you do something rash..."

"I promise. Its like I've said before – I vowed never to screw up the second chance I've gotten with you."

"Good." He grinned again. "Now, where were we?"

She grinned too. "First, we finish our ice cream. Then, we have dessert..."

_Cody and Bailey's bedroom, the next morning_

Once they had left the Harvard Faculty Club, Cody and Bailey had headed straight back to their townhouse – well almost. They did stop to pick up a bottle of white wine like they said they were going to do. Needless to say, both of them had a very satisfying if waterlogged rest of their evening. And the next morning, Cody found himself just beginning to stir when he opened his eyes. And when he did, he saw his wife propped up on her elbow smiling at him.

"Hey...Good morning, Bails."

She kept smiling. "I don't know about all of that..."

He frowned. "Why would you say that? After last night, its a great morning for me..."

She laughed. "Because its almost 11:30! Morning is almost gone, Sweetie."

He gave her a surprised look. "11:30? Wow..." He paused and laughed. "Well, I guess it was kind of late when we finally went to sleep."

Bailey laughed again too. "You can say that again. I guess the old saying that time flies when you're having fun is true..."

"I'll second that."

"Of course, I did check to make sure I hadn't begun to grow gills overnight. I think my fingers are still a little bit pruned."

Cody laughed again himself. "Well worth it even so. But, if anything, I would hope we would be more like dolphins than fish..."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

He winked at her. "Because, my dear, dolphins are the only species other than humans who will do what we did last night for fun and not just to reproduce..."

Bailey laughed again. "I do remember reading that now. Well, in that case - eee eeeee eeee eeeeeee eee!"

"Well, I eee eeeeee eeeee you too."

She leaned down and kissed him. "So, its our last day to do whatever we want before school starts back in earnest. What do you want to do today?"

Cody paused to think. "Well, at some point today, we need to make our meals for the rest of the week and then seal them up."

She shook her head. "I swear...I almost think you love that vacuum seal thing we got as a wedding gift as much as you do me..."

He grinned. "Who was I in the hot tub with last night?"

She teased him. "Because you would have been electrocuted if you had been in there with it!"

He winked again. "Oh, there was enough electricity in the water last night as it was..."

"True." She paused. "You know how proud of you I am though? Years ago, I don't think your germaphobia would have let you do what we did last night."

Cody smiled. "Well, while I've gotten better in some regards, you do have to remember something. The only germs in there either come from me or you. My own germs I'm used to, and as for yours, well..." He leaned in and kissed her again. "I'm more than good with anything that comes from you."

Bailey giggled. "Good answer."

He paused. "Real or fake?"

She grinned. "Just like last night...100% real."

"Works for me. So, what do you want to do on our last day of freedom?"

"Well, I was thinking we could..." But before she could finish her thought, they both heard a clap of thunder and rain beginning to hit their windows. Bailey laughed. "Okay, that just narrowed down our choices."

"Yeah. I know Benjamin Franklin was a smart man, but I have no desire to go fly a kite right now."

"How about we go see a matinee movie then? They gets us back home in plenty of time to do everything else we need to do before going to bed early..."

Cody grinned. "Sounds good to me..."

"To sleep, Sweetie. We need to be well rested for our first real day of classes."

"Oh, alright. Well, let me go get my laptop, and I'll see what's playing. I do believe its my turn to pick a movie."

"Uh uh. You picked the last one, Cody. Its my turn."

He gave her a funny look. "No, I didn't. The last time we went to see a movie was the weekend before we left on our honeymoon. And as I recall, you picked it that time."

Bailey smiled. "I know, but you chose the last movie we watched on the plane home from our honeymoon."

"Oh, no! You're not really going to count in flight movies are you?"

She laughed. "Of course I am..."

Cody sighed. "Bails..."

"Don't worry. I won't pick anything I know you absolutely hate. Besides, there aren't any more Twilight movies and haven't been for a few years now."

"That's true. For a while, I had hope that I would never see the two lead actors in that movie in another one together ever again. I mean, she did cheat on him after all..."

"Yeah, and then she whined and begged for a second chance..." She shook her head. "I still can't believe he actually took her back. It reminds me of what that Topanga lady told me right before we get married. People make mistakes they wish they could take back, but they can't. No matter what you do, there are consequences to your actions. Well, except for Hollywood actors. Seems they get second, third and even fourth chances..."

"That's true. Unless your name is Charlie Sheen or Robert Downey, Jr. I think their number of chances is in double digits now..."

"Very true." Bailey shook her head. "Lets change the subject back to something much more pleasant. I think I know just the movie I want to go see. We can even go out and grab some lunch first."

"Works for me..." He paused and grinned. "But before we get out of bed for the day..." He rolled over and top of her and leaned down and kissed her again.

"Cody!"

"Yes, my dear?"

She laughed. "Well, I suppose we could delay starting our day for a little bit..."

"Now you're talking! I..." But before he could finish what he was going to say, his eyes went wide and he shouted on in pain. "OWWWWWWW!"

Bailey looked up at him in surprise. "Cody? What's wrong?" Just then, she heard Albert hiss and then saw him jump down off their bed and run out of the room. "Oh my gosh! Where did he get you?"

He winced in pain. "Lets just say I'm thankful the movie theater has padded seats. A few more inches down, and he would have repaid me the favor and neutered me too!"

She sighed. "Stay right here. I'll go get the first aid kit."

A few minutes later, Bailey had finished adding Neosporin to Cody's wounds and putting bandages over them. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie."

"Its okay. Fortunately, my...posterior is mostly just flash and fat. No real damage done..."

She smiled. "Still not going to kiss it to make it feel better."

"Somehow, I knew that was coming..."

"On a serious side though, I had no idea Albie would do something like this. Maybe Gabby was right. She said her family's cat never forgave her father for neutering him..."

Cody shook his head. "I refuse to accept that. I'm going to view this as a preliminary test for when we have kids one day. They might not like something I do, but I just won't let them hate me for it. Mark my words, Bails – Al and I will eventually get along. I'm going to make sure of that!"

"And just how to you expect to pull that off, Sweetie?"

He paused. "I don't know yet, but by Halloween, he and I are going to be buddies!"

"That's only two months, Cody. That's not a lot of time..."

"Don't worry...One way or another, I'll get it done."

Bailey paused and smiled. "Sounds like all the makings of one of our bets..."

He smiled too. "I'm game if you are."

"Name your terms..."

Cody paused to think before grinning. "You know that idea I got on our honeymoon?"

She just gave him a look. "Seriously? You're still thinking about that?"

"Uh huh..."

"Fine. What's in it for me?"

He paused to think again. "You know that thing you've wanted to do to me since high school?"

Bailey gave him another look. "Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"

"I am..."

She smiled and extended her hand. "You're on!"

He shook her hand. "Come November 1st, one of us is going to be very happy."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah...me! You know, its too bad the government confiscated all of that Corsican fruit though..."

Cody gave her a confused look. "Why would you say that?"

"That's how we knew where you and Zack were. London had eaten so much of that stuff that she was able to understand when a dolphin told her where you two were." She laughed again. "With that stuff, you could read Albie's mind and actually communicate with him..."

Cody just looked at her for a second while a plan slowly formed in his mind. "Yeah, too bad all of that stuff is gone..."

_To be Continued..._

**AN#1: Talk about irony. This afternoon, UK got a commit from the #5 player in the 2013 class. Well, while I was waiting for the guy (James Young) to announce, ESPNU announced the North Carolina Stare got a commitment from a player in the 2014 class. That players name? Cody Martin. Want more irony? He has a twin brother who committed to NCSU as well. Alas, the twin's name is Caleb and not Zack, but I found that funny.**

**AN#2: Congrats to Zack and Cody for getting a shout out on the past Sunday's episode of Family Guy. Yes, it was a disturbing one in a very Sanduskian way, but...**


	7. Epic Showdowns

_Chapter 7_

_"Epic Showdowns"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_An Auditorium at Harvard Business School, Monday morning_

Bright and early the following Monday morning, Zack found himself sitting towards the back of a large auditorium. Every so often, he would look around and see even more and more people filing into the room and taking seats. Sighing, he shook his head knowing that his orientation was about to begin shortly and signal that his summer summer was officially over. Zack then checked his watch and sighed again. Normally, he wouldn't have been there so early, but Maya woke him up at 6:00, fixed him breakfast and then walked with him to the subway stop to make sure that he wouldn't be late. So, he just sat there and alternated between looking at the binder he had been given as well as occasionally looking around to see if anyone walking in looked familiar. Zack remembered Cody saying there was only about a hundred fifty people in his incoming medical class, and from what he had been told by the lady at the table he got his binder from, he knew that about six times as many would be in his incoming class. While the odds of knowing something were better, he shook his head and realized there was no chance of that happening. So, in defeat Zack looked back down at his binder to read the schedule for the day until he heard a voice come from right next to him.

"Is the seat next to you taken?"

He shook his head but wondered why someone would want to sit right next to him in such a large room. "No, go ahead. I..." But that's when he looked up and saw a familiar face grinning at him.

"Amanda! What are you doing here?"

She plopped down in the seat next to him before giving him an innocent look. "Why, I'm here for orientation for Harvard Business School. I'm in the right place, aren't I?"

Zack was confused. "Well, yeah, but I thought you said you were staying at BU?"

Amanda laughed. "So did I until this weekend!" She teased him. "Once they let you in here, I applied myself figuring they were letting in anyone who applied. Unfortunately, I was wrong as I was wait listed. Figuring that was as close as I was going to get, I never brought it up to you. But on Saturday morning, I got a call asking if I was still interested in coming, so here I am!"

He laughed. "Well, congratulations! It'll be nice to have at least one person around here I know."

"Likewise. And even better, you should have seen the look on my Dad's and sister's faces! I thought he was going to burst with pride. And he didn't even flinch when he cut another check to Harvard before getting his money back from BU..."

"Wow..."

"And I thought Kathy was going to have a stroke. No longer can she hold her going to Cornell over my head any longer. I know both are ivy league schools, but Harvard and Yale have just a little more prestige to their names than the other six. And I've been teasing her like crazy about that!"

Zack laughed again. "Congrats on that too. I still remember the look on Cody's face when I got in. I think he was actually proud of me..."

"As he should be. Speaking of which, how are the newlyweds? How are they liking married life so far?"

He shrugged. "Once I find out anything that's changed for them except being able to file a joint tax return, I'll let you know."

Amanda laughed this time. "Well, that's got to be a good thing..."

"Speaking of pride, I bet Jake is pretty proud of you as well."

She nodded. "He is..." She smiled. "He's even taking me down to his parents' place in Martha's Vineyard to celebrate this weekend."

"Well, I guess inviting you over to the hotel for another cookout on Sunday would be out for you then..."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll take a rain check for the next one though."

"Consider it done." Zack smiled. "And look at it this way – we've finally stopped being Terriers! No longer are we yip dogs!"

Amanda laughed again. "Very true. Now, we're Crimson. Not Crimson Tide, just Crimson - whatever that's supposed to mean. But on the bright side, we don't have to really worry about getting used to new school colors too."

"And, we have a much better athletic program. Yeah, our new football team hasn't been good in a long time, but we do have seven national championships." He paused. "Of course, the last one was 1919, but still..."

"And our basketball team actually has a chance of making the NCAA tournament." She paused. "Of course, it'll likely end in a one and done, and not the good kind that Kentucky has."

"Tell me about it. And as long as our best players don't get into any cheating scandals again, we should at least win the Ivy League."

She stopped to think. "Now that I'm at Harvard though, do I automatically have to begin hating Yale and MIT?"

Zack shrugged. "I think its encouraged but not required. I know Cody and Bailey are still loyal to Yale, and I personally have nothing against the place."

Amanda laughed. "You don't? Even after you got blitzed off your butt there your freshman year?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

"Speaking of those two again, when do their classes start."

Zack checked his watch. "About fifteen minutes ago. They had orientation the past two weeks and start for real today. I'll go ahead and warn you though – if ours is as boring as they said theirs was, don't be surprised if I use your shoulder for a pillow."

"Good call on picking seats in the back then. If we fall asleep, less chance of getting caught."

He smiled. "Hey, I did the same thing the first day I met you. I know I've changed a lot, but not in some areas."

"Well, seeing the schedule they've given us, I don't think we'll have quite the same kind of easy classes we did at good ol' Beacon Hill."

"Very true. Looks like its a flex schedule where we either have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and the alternate Fridays."

"Let me see your schedule. Maybe we have some classes together?"

So, that's what they did. And as luck would have it, they were in the same section and did have their Finance I, Financial Reporting and Control (FRC), Leadership and Organization Behavior (LEAD), Marketing, Technology and Operations Management (TOM) classes together as well as being assigned to the same group to do their Field classes together.

Zack whiped his brow in relief. "Thank you! I'll actually have someone to work with that I won't have to worry being a elitist jerk..."

She teased him again. "I wish I could say the same..."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. But do me a favor. If I ever start acting like one of those types, smack the hell out of me!"

"Will do if you promise to do the same thing to me."

Before they could say anything else, their orientation began in earnest. And like Zack had feared, it did turn out to be just that boring. He didn't actually fall asleep, but he was close to losing consciousness on a few occasions. Fortunately, one of the perks of having a friend there with him was she kept nudging him to keep him awake. Besides, Amanda figured if she was going to have to stay awake, Zack did too. Finally, about noon, they were released to go grab some lunch.

"Hey, I was supposed to call Maya and see if she would be free to join me for lunch. You should join us so we can all celebrate your admission. And I have my car with me, so we can pick her up and head up to this place on the Yard that I saw on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."

"You actually watch that show?"

Zack paused. "Ummm...Cody made me watch it."

"Uh huh..."Amanda shrugged. "But it sounds good to me."

Five minutes later, Zack put his phone back in his pocket. "Unfortunately, Maya just had a walk-in she had to take care of, but she wanted me to pass along her congratulations to you as well. She said it would be good for me to have someone up here to keep me in line for her..."

"Tell her I said thanks...I think."

"Well, we only have so long before our afternoon naps begin back, so we better get moving..."

And even though lunch was all too quick, it was a nice break away from the monotony of their mornings. The only downside was one they didn't notice – the fact that someone else had caught them having lunch together and took pictures of them together on an I-phone.

_Cody & Bailey's House, the following Saturday morning_

A week later, Cody and Bailey officially had a week of medical school and in particular, Molecular and Cellular Basis of Medicine under their belts. Sure, it was a little strange to them to be in the same class everyday for four hours, but they were adapting to it pretty quickly. Mostly, they just kept up the same work ethics they had in college and found themselves to be well prepared everyday for the lectures. But, they were looking forward to having the long Labor Day weekend to unwind a little. Besides, the following week, they would have three more classes (Introduction to Social Medicine, Pursuing Inquiry in Medicine and Patient/Doctor I) begin, but those would only be one afternoon a week, and only Patient/Doctor I was scheduled to meet every week.

Likewise, for Amy, she now had two days of college under her belt as well, and she was loving every minute of it so far. Like her sister before her, she was finally getting the challenge she had been waiting for her whole life. And while her college courses were nothing like the ones she had at Kettlecorn High, she was reveling in how the professors kept the discussions going without having to slow down to make sure everyone kept up. Even better, she and her new roommate, Beth were getting along very well. While they grew up in different states, both were able to bond over mutual interests and in the fact both had been raised on farms. Yes, Beth had been raised on a horse farm and was studying to be a veterinarian so she could return to hers, they still shared many common experiences of their childhoods.

On that Saturday morning, Amy and Beth had decided to go out and hit the Labor Day sales as they still weren't quite satisfied with their dorm room's décor, and the invited Bailey to go out with them. So, they met up and Cody and Bailey's place to have a home cooked breakfast before heading out for the day.

Beth smiled. "Thank you again for breakfast, it was delicious."

Bailey smiled back at her. "No worries. Even though our dining hall at Yale was voted to be among the best in the country, Cody and I both know that breaks away from it every now and again are good things."

She laughed. "Well, ours isn't as bad as I feared, but I don't think we could get blueberry and cranberry pancakes like these over there. And you say your husband actually made them?"

"Yeah, Cody is the primary cook around here."

Amy laughed. "And Bailey is the primary handy woman around here. They've switched the normal gender roles. Its like I keep telling you, these two aren't normal..."

Beth held up her hands. "Hey, as long as it works for them, more power to them. After seeing this, I may have to add the ability to cook to my list of things to look for in a guy."

Bailey grinned. "Speaking of which, have you two begun checking out the guys on campus yet?"

Amy shook her head. "Not yet. We've actually been pretty busy this week with orientation and then classes. We both kind of figured we should let ourselves get acclimated before we did anything else..." She paused and smirked at her sister. "Unlike you, neither one of us has a boyfriend beginning college with us..."

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah. But, I do think its a good idea not to spread yourselves too thin too early. Cody and I did the same thing our freshmen years and it worked out for us. We waited to do extracurricular activities when we knew we would have time to do them. Speaking of classes though, do you two have any classes in common?"

Beth nodded. "We sure do. We have our writing class, evolutionary biology and our class on Middle Eastern cultures together. While Amy is knocking out social science requirements, I'm knocking out a math and inorganic chemistry classes."

"Been there before myself."

She laughed. "Yeah, since you're now in medical school, I imagine you have." Beth looked around and nodded at a couple of pictures. "I have to say though, I love your wedding photos. While I like the serious pose, I think the one of Cody carrying you in your arms is absolutely adorable."

Bailey turned to look at the picture and smiled. "Yeah, that's our favorite one too." She paused and laughed herself. "Four years ago, I don't think Cody could have done that though."

"I couldn't have done what?"

The three turned and saw Cody walk into the kitchen. "Oh, I was just telling them I didn't think you could have lifted me like you did in our wedding picture there."

"I think I could have."

She gave him a look. "Need I remind you of the gold bar?"

He rolled his yes. "Yeah, yeah..."

Bailey just gave him a smile. "Sure you don't want to go out shopping with us?"

"Oh, I'm sure. Besides, I need to go get a haircut. I haven't gotten one since before we left on our honeymoon, and my hair is starting to get too long."

Amy teased him. "Awww, and here I thought I was going to get to see your shaggy look in person. But, if you want to dye it red again, that would be even better."

Cody looked at his wife. "Just had to show her the photo albums, didn't you?"

Amy grinned and continued. "Its not like she has any grounds to complain though. You've seen pictures of her in her pigtails days. Plus, in the past ten or so years, I've seen her alternate between being a blond, brunette and a redhead. If you ask me, she needs to pick one and stick with it..."

Bailey turned to her sister. "Hey!"

Cody patted his wife's bottom. "Doesn't matter to me at all. I would think she looks beautiful even if she had green or bright pink hair. And for the record, I saw her wearing a jet black wig a few years ago, and she was stunning with it on."

Bailey kissed his cheek in thanks as Amy shook her head. "Yeah, yeah...Like I keep saying, you two aren't normal."

Beth laughed. "Well, I think its sweet." She paused. "But that does remind me. I need to find a new hair salon myself here in Boston."

"Yeah, me too. I'm so used to going to Buck's that it never crossed my mind that I would need to find a new one."

Bailey paused before leaning in close to them. "I'll take you two to the place I found around here as long as you two don't tell London anything about it though. She took me to her stylist once, and I almost freaked out when I saw the bill was $200. The place I go to is good and reasonably priced."

Cody laughed. "Well, you ladies have fun. I'm going to head on out so I can get back and have some bonding time with Al when I get home." Cody kissed his wife's cheek again before whispering. "I am going to win this bet."

She whispered back. "Yeah, keep dreaming..."

That caught Amy's attention. "Did I just hear something about a bet? What's the bet?"

Cody shrugged. "I bet your sister that Al and I would be buddies by the time Halloween gets here."

"And what do you each get if you win?"

Cody just grinned but Bailey shook her head. "Don't you worry about it..."

A couple of hours later, Cody had returned from getting his haircut and stopped by their mailbox outside of the complex's clubhouse. As he was looking through their mail, he just shook his head when he saw it was either advertisements or political fliers. Realizing there was nothing in the mail that day that needed his immediate attention, he turned to head back to their townhouse. However, before he got too far, he heard his name being called.

"Cody!"

Turning around, he saw his medical school classmate, C.J. standing there giving him a funny look as he held the leash connected to a very large dog. "Hey, C.J., what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the exact same thing. I live here."

Cody gave him an astonished look. "You do? Bailey and I live here too." He pointed towards their place. "Right over there. Number 1166."

C.J. pointed in the exact opposite direction. "I'm in 1106." He paused and laughed. "I guess that explains it. We both live in opposite corners, so there is little chance of us seeing each other come out our front doors every morning."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Though, I would have thought we would have discovered this last weekend when we got back from the Booze & Shmooze..."

"Well, we stopped at the liquor store to get a bottle of wine after we exited the subway, so that probably explains it."

"Makes sense. Speaking of that Saturday night though, was one of your neighbors having a party?"

Cody shrugged. "Not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"Well, I heard some weird noises coming from the area of where you say your place is. Any idea what that was?"

Cody's eyes went wide, but he shook his head. "Again, no idea. But I'll keep my eyes and ears open in the future."

"So, what are you up to today? And where's Bailey?"

"Oh, she's out shopping with her sister and her sister's roommate. With all kinds of holiday sales, they couldn't resist."

C.J. laughed. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

"It varies. Fortunately, Bailey isn't one to spend money just to spend money. Occasionally, she'll buy something that I wonder what she was thinking, but I've long since realized that's going to happen from time to time. Sometimes though, she surprises me by buying things we actually need. A couple of weeks ago, she bought me three new pairs of boxers she found on sale that three for ten dollars."

He gave Cody a look. "You let her buy your boxers?"

He shrugged again. "Well, she knows my size and what brands and styles I find to be comfortable. Besides, she's the only one who gets to see me in them, so if she likes them..."

"True I guess..."

"So, what are you up to today?"

C.J. patted the head of the large dog sitting there beside him. "I just got back from taking my dog, Rufus for a walk."

Cody looked down at the large creature and took his first good look at it. "You sure that's a dog? Looks like a small horse to me!"

C.J. laughed. "I'm sure. While he's a mutt, the vet thinks he at least has some Mastiff and Newfoundland in him. Maybe some St. Bernard as well."

"I can definitely see that. Were you taking him for a walk or was he taking you for one."

He paused. "I'd say about 50/50."

"Maybe you should get him a saddle then? You could just ride him..."

"I guess, but I don't want him to be too tired to be a good guard dog. I don't think anyone would be happy if they broke into my place and found him growling at them."

"Very true. Unfortunately, our pet would rather attack me instead..."

"He still trying to repay the favor for neutering him?"

Cody sighed. "Yeah, he got me real good this past Sunday morning. But, I think I have a plan to solve my little problem. In fact, no time like the present to implement it."

"Good luck to you then, Neighbor. See you tomorrow over at your brother's place."

"Yeah. Hopefully I'll be there without any new scratches..."

Once Cody got back inside his and Bailey's place, he sorted the mail into their cubby holes so Bailey could look through them later. After that, he went to the fridge to get himself something to drink. And as he sipped his drink, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't believe Bailey has gotten me hooked on Southern sweet tea. That stuff is almost impossible to find up here in Boston without making it yourself..."

He was about to fix himself some lunch before getting down to his task at hand when he heard something. And as quickly as he could, he stepped out of the way just in time to see Albert pounce and crash head first into one of their kitchen cabinets. As the cat stopped and shook his head to try to clear the cobwebs out of his mind, Cody knelt down and laughed. "Sorry, Al...you're going to have to be faster than that!"

Al stared up at him and growled. _"I'll get you next time!"_

"I doubt you will. From now on, I'm going to be one step ahead of you..."

The cat paused as his eyes went wide. _"Wait a minute! I understood what you just said!"_

Cody smirked. "And I understood what you just said too! Your days of tyranny around here are over!"

_The Roof of the Boston Tipton, Sunday afternoon_

The next day, everyone began arriving at the Boston Tipton a little after noon and eventually made their way up to the roof to enjoy the weather on a beautiful early September day. And even though Amy had spent some time at the hotel before, she and Beth still met up with Cody and Bailey before riding the subway over together. When they got there, they found Gabby hanging around the lobby looking a little lost. So, they rescued her, and after formally introducing her to Amy and Beth, the five of them all headed up to the roof. And when they got there, they could see Zack was already cleaning the grill up while Maya was setting up some tables and chairs. When Maya saw Gabby, she smiled.

"I've got some good news for you. My boss said Monday and Friday afternoons would work perfectly for you to come by the center for rehab."

Gabby sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. That is good news."

"She was on cloud nine that our little department would have someone of your stature using our facilities."

"I don't know about all of that. In the world of the Olympics, your a has been a year after your games unless you plan on returning to defend your title. I mean, look at the Misty and Kerri. They won three straight gold medals, but because they aren't going to head to Rio together, people have already forgot about them."

Maya laughed. "Well, I doubt any male over the age of seventeen has forgotten about them. Especially those bikini uniforms they wore..."

"Very true. I can't say much because ours weren't much better. Even once I was used to them, it still took me about five minutes to put one of them on."

"Really? Well, I guess because they had to be aerodynamic..."

"That they were...and a pain in the butt - both literally and figuratively."

"I'll take your word on that. Well, I know tomorrow is a holiday, but do you want to start then or wait until Friday?"

Gabby paused to think. "Lets say Friday. I wouldn't want you to have to go in and work on the holiday. Besides, I'll probably spend all day tomorrow doing my reading for Tuesday."

Maya paused and leaned in. "Okay, be honest with me. I know Cody and Bailey have said that it hasn't been that bad so far, but I also know how easy things like that come to them. How has medical school been thus far really?"

She shrugged. "It could be worse I guess..." She laughed. "I'll let you know later when we have to deal with cadavers." She paused. "Though, my ACL came from one, so maybe it will give me a leg up so to speak..."

About that time, C.J. finally found his way up to the roof as well. And almost immediately after he did, Bailey pulled him off to the side to introduce him to her sister and her roommate.

"C.J., I would like you to meet my sister, Amy and her roommate, Beth. Amy and Beth, this is C.J., our classmate and from what Cody told me yesterday, our neighbor."

He nodded. "Nice to meet you both."

Amy shook her head. "So, you're the guy who is our age and is already technically a doctor?"

"Well, sort of. I do have a PhD, but I don't really consider myself a doctor yet. That won't be for four more years."

"Still. It blows my mind that someone my age has already accomplished so much." She turned to her sister. "I know you still love Kettlecorn, but even you have to admit how much it has potentially held us back."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "You're only 18 and you're a freshman at Harvard now. I think you'll be okay..."

"I guess..." Amy turned back to C.J. "Well, its nice to finally meet you. When Cody and Bailey told me about you, I had this picture of a short nerdy guy with glasses. But after meeting you, you actually seem fairly normal."

He paused before laughing. "Thank you...I think. Actually, now that I think about it, that might be the nicest thing anyone my own age has ever said to me."

She laughed too. "Oh, give it time. You keep hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, and I reserve the right to give you pure hell. Despite what anyone else says, those two are definitely not normal. Don't let them rub off on to you."

C.J. frowned in confusion. "They've both been nothing but nice to me..."

Bailey shook her head. "Ignore her. You know...little sisters and all."

"Ahh...Gotcha now. I know all about how they can be. Speaking of Cody though, did he survive yesterday in one piece? When I ran into him, he said he was going to try to tame your guys' pet cat."

She paused. "As far as I know, there were no more attacks. In fact, ever since I got home yesterday, it seems like Albie has been avoiding Cody at all costs. Whenever he sees him, he bolts off running in the other direction. Its like something has spooked him or something..."

Across the roof, Zack thought the grill was now hot enough to begin cooking, so he turned to Maya.

"Hey, Babe. I think I'm ready to get started here. Would you mind heading down to our suite and bringing up the meat?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Be right back."

So, Maya headed downstairs, and when she got to their door, she saw Will was there wandering the hallway looking lost.

She laughed. "Hey, we're all upstairs on the roof. I just came down to get the animal flesh to take it up to cook."

He sighed. "Thank goodness you found me. I remembered you saying the 23rd floor, but I couldn't remember the exact suite number. Need a hand carrying stuff upstairs?"

"Sure, why not? Come on in."

She lead him into the suite where she immediately headed over to the refrigerator where she pulled out the burgers they had patted out earlier as well as the dogs and brats.

"Other than this suite, did you have any trouble finding this place?"

Will shook his head. "Not at all." He looked around the suite. "So, this is where you and Jack live together, huh?"

"Its Zack and yes. He's lived in this suite for three years now, and I've lived here too for a little over a year now myself."

"Sounds pretty serious between you two then if you're living together..."

She smiled. "We are. We're not married or anything like his brother, but we've discussed the topic ourselves. We both feel like its only a matter of time before we get there too."

He paused trying to shake that image out of his head. "Good. The last time we hung out together, you got your heart broken..."

Maya laughed. "Yeah, I was thinking about that same thing the other night. It makes you realize how stupid you can be when you're sixteen. But, I've moved on from then, and I'm exactly where I want to be in my life."

Will sighed. "Well, that makes what I have to tell you next a little difficult..."

"What's that?"

"This past Monday, I was having lunch on campus. And well, I don't want to upset you or anything, but I'm pretty sure I saw your boyfriend having lunch with another woman."

Maya just looked at him and laughed. "I know. Zack was having lunch with our friend, Amanda. He just found out that she would be joining him at HBS. I was supposed to join them to celebrate that fact, but I had a new patient come in at the last minute."

"Oh...well, after the last time we hung out, I just thought you should know..."

She smiled. "I appreciate that, but I know I don't have to worry about anything like that now." She looked down at the food on the counter. "I better get this upstairs before everyone begins rioting due to there not being any food."

When they got back up to the roof, they carried the food over to Zack who was chatting with Cody. When he saw Maya had finally returned, he teased her.

"What took you so long, Babe?"

Maya smiled. "I ran into Will downstairs. And get this - he told me he ran into you the other day on campus when you were having lunch with Amanda."

That caught both Cody and Zack's attention, and Zack turned his attention to Will. "Is that so?"

Will squirmed a little bit as he was wishing Maya had kept that to herself. "Yeah, I saw you at a restaurant over near the Yard. I was pretty sure you looked familiar, but then I remembered you did had a twin brother."

Zack was still staring at him. "Yeah, but he was in school then himself, weren't you, Bro?"

Cody just nodded realizing the implications of what Maya had just said and now the tone of voice Zack was using. "Yeah..."

Zack continued. "You should have come over and said hello, Will. I would introduced you to my friend, Amanda. In fact, I invited her to come here today, but she already had plans with her boyfriend..."

Maya spoke up seemingly oblivious to the sudden rise in testosterone. "Well, the next time you see him on campus, Will, feel free to say hello. Zack, doesn't bite...I promise."

Zack turned and winked at her. "Well, not people I don't know..."

She laughed. "Behave yourself, Zack." She looked down at the grill and shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot a bunch of stuff downstairs. Let me go get it, and I'll be right back. Cody, would you mind giving me a hand?"

Reluctantly, he nodded, and with that, they headed back downstairs.

With them now gone again, Zack refocused his attention back to Will again. "So, let me guess. You just happened to mention to Maya that you saw me out with another girl, huh?"

Will swallowed. "Well, I was just trying to protect her just in case. Maya and I go back a long time, and as her friend, I thought it was something she needed to know."

"Uh huh. Something tells me this wasn't the first time you've tried to do this..."

He swallowed again. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I bet you don't..." Zack glared at him. "Either way, Maya doesn't need you to protect her. She is more than capable of taking care of herself. After all, she is a black belt, but I bet you didn't know that. And I'm the last person she needs to be protected from. You got that?"

Will wasn't backing down. "I've known her for a lot longer than you have. Don't try to intimidate me."

"I wouldn't dream of it. But, if you try to cause problems for me and my girlfriend, you'll find out that I'm a black belt too..."

Back down in the suite, Maya was collecting up the remaining things they would need upstairs as Cody stood there waiting for her to organize everything. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

"You see that cooler over there? Think you can carry it to the elevator for me? And on the roof, put it over by the tables."

"I can do that." He paused. "Can I ask you a question before we head back up though?"

"Sure thing. What's up?"

"Well, its that Will guy. I know its really not any of my business, but..."

Maya smiled and cut him off. "Nothing to worry about. He's just an old friend of mine from New York. You know, kind of like how Tapeworm and Bob were for you guys here."

"I can see that, but on the other hand, I've never seen either of those guys giving either Zack or me the same kind of looks like that guy is giving you..."

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Cody sighed. "I may be way off here, but he's not giving you the look a friend would give another friend. He's giving you the look that someone would give to an old...crush."

Maya laughed. "Trust me, that couldn't be further from the truth."

"If you say so then, but I don't think Zack was happy that that guy tried to rat him out."

"If there are any problems, I'll smooth them over. But there is nothing for anything to get upset about. You'll see, everything will work out just fine."

Meanwhile, back on the roof, Will wasn't comfortable with the third degree that Zack was seemingly giving him. And fortunately for him, Maya and Zack's brother arrived back shortly so he wouldn't be alone with him. Deciding to seize the opportunity to change the subject, he did. "So, Zack, were you a big athlete in high school?"

Zack just grinned as he realized what was going on. "Not really, my freshman year, I played basketball here in Boston..." He paused and looked up. "RIP, Coach Little..." (RIP Michael Clarke Duncan)

That confused Will. "Huh?"

Maya rubbed Zack's shoulder. "He just found out that his old high school basketball coach passed away this past week."

"Ohhh..."

Zack focused himself back on Will. "But after I headed to the boat, Seven Seas High didn't have many traditional sports teams. But, I did get an offer to join the US croquet team..."

"I see. Well, I was all state in crew in high school and then a three time all American at Princeton." Taking the chance to look better in Maya's eyes, Will smirked. "Compared to croquet, I guess you could say I actually played a real sport."

If he wasn't sure before, he was then. Zack was positive – he didn't like this Will guy. "Yeah...if you consider rowing a boat to be a sport. Personally, I don't. Anyone can do it. In fact, if I'm honest, the only real athlete here is the lady over there. She actually has a gold medal. As for rowing, I'm more impressed that my brother and sister-in-law were four time defending intramural ping pong champions at Yale..." He smirked. "At least they went to a real Ivy League school..."

That got a rise out of Will. "Crew is a lot more difficult than it looks! It takes a certain type to be able to do it." He seethed before smirking back. "But if you're interested in a challenge, I'd love to race you some time..."

"I'd love too!" Zack paused. "But aren't those boats usually for two people..."

"Yeah, they are. I'll bring my roommate. He was my teammate and fellow All-American at Princeton."

"No worries, I'll bring..." Zack paused to think. Not really liking any of the options that were crossing his mind, he sighed. "...my brother."

"Fine. Next Saturday then!"

"Next Saturday it is!"

Maya looked back and forth between the two of them. This was definitely not going anyway how she thought it would have. And as the two guys continued staring each other down, Cody returned from putting the cooler over by the tables. Seeing the tension filled stare down, he paused.

"Ummm...what's going on here?"

"Nothing, Broseph." He paused. "You have any plans for next Saturday yet?"

"Not that I know of..."

Zack grinned. "You do now!"

_To be Continued..._


	8. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

_Chapter 8_

_"Row, Row, Row Your Boat"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Place, the following Friday evening_

After successfully completing their second week of medical school, albeit a short one due to the Labor Day holiday, Cody and Bailey were enjoying a quiet evening at home. Well, one of them was at least. Bailey was sitting back on the couch watching some of her favorite TV shows she had recorded during the week on their DVR. During the week, they didn't want to have anything to distract them from their studies, so they decided that watching everything they really wanted to watch on Friday night was a good idea. Unfortunately for Cody, he was getting to enjoy them as he was staring intently at his laptop screen. Every so often, Bailey would glance over at him and just smile when she saw the looks of disgust or apprehension on his face. Finally, before starting another one of her shows, she turned to him.

"Sweetie?"

Cody looked up at her. "Huh?"

"How is your research going?"

He sighed. "Not too good, Bails. I've been watching instructional videos on how to do crew for the past couple of hours, and I don't think its going to do me any good whatsoever. I can already tell tomorrow is going to be a colossal disaster..."

Bailey smiled. "Oh, come on, Honey - I bet you will do better than you think."

Cody gave her a questioning look. "You do? Have you forgotten so quickly how horrible my boating skills are? I mean, it was thanks to me that we got stranded on that deserted island..."

She laughed. "Oh, I remember, but that was over five years ago. Plus, you were also the one who successfully got us off of that island too. Like then, I'm sure you'll think of something that will help you out tomorrow."

"I love you for saying that, but you couldn't be more wrong on this one. Considering I've never done this before, something tells me my arms will be ready to fall off after two thousand meters. So, don't be surprised if I can lift them to get a conciliatory hug from you afterwards..."

She laughed again. "Duly noted. I'm still proud of you for even trying to do this though."

He snorted. "Yeah, like I had a choice..." He shook his head and sighed. "How is it that I'll be twenty-two years old in a couple of weeks and Zack is still able to talk me into doing stupid stuff like this?"

"I don't know, Cody. Maybe some old habits die hard?"

Cody sighed again. "I guess. But the only person who should be getting me to do things I don't want to do from now on is you..."

She turned back and glared at him. "Hey!"

He smiled at her. "Well, its true. Besides, you have ways of convincing me to do something that he never will..."

"Uh huh. When have I ever gotten you to do something you didn't want to do?"

He gave her a look. "Gee...let me think. You remember how you convinced me to take Al to the vet. And thanks to that, I now have a psychotic kitty trying to slice and dice me."

Bailey had to laugh again. "Okay, okay, you've made your point. And to be fair, he hasn't tried to attack you lately. And is it just me or has he been acting kind of weird for the past week? He's all normal around me, but once he sees you, he runs away in the direction like he was shot out of a cannon..." She paused. "Honey, have you done something to make him scared of you?"

Cody shook his head. "Well, other than literally telling him that I won't put up with his attacks any more, no, I haven't..."

She stopped to think. "I don't see how that would affect him though. I mean, its not like he could actually understand you or anything like that."

He immediately looked back down at his laptop. "Not unless he's learned the English language in the past week..."

She shook her head and laughed again. "I seriously doubt that!" She shrugged. "Oh well, he is still less than a year old. So, in cat years, that makes him essentially still a child. Maybe we he grows up, he'll become normal..." She teased him. "You know, kind of like you..."

He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Remember, I'm not the only one your sister says isn't normal."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know. I know neither one of us is normal. That's why we make such a good pair."

Cody smiled back at her. "No arguments from me about that. But as for Al, I think he's just in the process of coming around and adjusting to his new surroundings. In fact, I think he'll be an ordinary cat and my buddy by the end of next month..."

"Cody, I love your confidence, but I can already tell you that you're not going to win our bet on this."

"Oh, I have a good feeling that I will. On Halloween night, you yourself will tell me that I was right and won our bet..." He grinned. "And when you do..."

Bailey shook her head. "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Now, if you do somehow win, I'll honor our bet. But as for us going out that night, I hope you remember that this is my year to choose our costumes..."

"I'm well aware of that. Speaking of which though, have you decided on them yet?"

She grinned. "Oh, I think have a pretty good idea of what they're going to be. While you had your nose buried in your laptop, I got an inspiration."

Cody frowned wondering what he had missed. "Oh yeah? Any hints?"

"Well, I shouldn't because you didn't give me any last year. But, lets just say I think you'll look good in a uniform..."

He paused. "Uniform, huh? Alright." He winked at her. "Trust me, you'll look good in yours later on that evening..."

"We'll see, Sweetie..." She yawned. "You know, I'm kind of tired. I think I'm going to go take a hot bath and then call it a night. We do have to be at the boathouse pretty early tomorrow morning."

Cody sighed. "I'd love to join you, Sweetie, but if I don't keep researching this, I'll get my own bath tomorrow. But instead of it being a hot one with my beautiful wife, it will be in the cold Charles River with my brother."

Bailey leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Well, no matter what, you'll have your own personal cheerleader there."

"Thanks." He paused. "Speaking of baths though, will you remind me to pack a bag with dry clothes in it for when the inevitable happens tomorrow?"

She smiled at him. "Oh, I've already done that, Sweetie..." Upon seeing the look he was giving her. "Oh, I have all the confidence in the world in you, but I had to being realistic."

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

Meanwhile, while Cody was busy trying to make sure he tried to stay dry the next morning, Zack was taking it easy and watching TV. He wasn't particularly worried about the next day as he felt like he had all the motivation in the world to win – revenge! While he hadn't paid much attention to the wisdom of the guyble for the past several years, he did remember one of the major teachings of Dude-erotomy was to never revert to underhanded tactics against a fellow dude unless they had first. And when Will had tried to rat him out to Maya, Zack felt like the gauntlet had been thrown down. Of course, he wasn't stupid and knew the odds of him winning the next day were not in his favor - especially with Cody as his partner. But Zack still smiled - he had a plan that would even things up a little bit.

Of course, while Zack was feeling good, Maya sat next to him trying to figure out how everything had snowballed out of control so quickly. When she and Cody had gone back down to the suite to get the rest of the things for the cookout, everything seemed fine. But when she returned back to the rooftop, it was almost as if she had to break up a rapidly escalating war. The rest of the cookout was a little awkward, but they had fortunately gotten through it. But now, almost a week later, she was still trying to defuse the situation and work out a peaceful armistice. So, right before she was about to go to bed, she tried once again to talk to Zack.

"Zack...is tomorrow really necessary?"

He looked up at her. "Of course it is!"

"But why? Explain to me why its necessary..."

"Its like I told you before, Babe - that Will guy intentionally crossed the line. Its pretty evident he was trying to cause us problems when he told you he saw Amanda and I having lunch..."

Maya sat down next to him and sighed. "Or...maybe he thought he was trying to be a friend? How was he supposed to know that Amanda was your friend?"

Zack gave her a look. "Oh, I don't know...maybe he could have come over and confronted me?"

"Well, yeah, he probably should have, but in his defense, it wouldn't have been the first time he would have seen something like that happen to me. I want to think he was just trying to be protective again and that this has just gotten all blown out of proportion."

"Babe, its not his job to protect you. For one, you've more than proven that you can take care of yourself. Two, if anyone else is going to be protective of you, its me!"

She smiled at him. "I appreciate that, but its like you said, I can take care of myself."

"I know, but this is also about me protecting myself and all the hard work I've done the past several years to grow up and mature."

"And I know you have, but I don't understand why you feel the need to defend it. I thought you were well beyond caring what other people think..."

"Oh, I only care about the opinions of people I respect. But this is much more now. The first time I met the guy, he seemed alright. And I know you only get one chance to make a first impression, but he made a lousy second impression on me. For some reason Maya, my gut is telling me not to trust that guy..."

She sighed. "Great. There goes my hope that you two could end up being friends."

"Yeah, I seriously doubt that's going to happen. Besides, I'm really beginning to think that..." He paused. "You know, nevermind. I don't have any evidence to back that up...yet."

Maya gave him a look. "Back what up?"

"I'll tell you later when and if I do get the evidence I need..."

"No, tell me now. Remember, we vowed to have complete truth and honesty with each other. And remember, we're supposed to be a team..."

Zack sighed. "Fine. You remember telling me that he was there with you when you got those pictures back in high school, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Something in my gut tells me that was no coincidence..."

That caught her off guard. "Zack, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am! But like I told you, I can't prove that...yet."

Maya shook her head. "Zack..."

He cut her off. "Before you tell me I'm wrong, I'm asking you to keep an open mind about this. Don't immediately write it off as a possibility."

She sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I think you're wrong about this though."

"For your sake, Babe, I hope I am. But it wouldn't surprise me if I'm not. I mean, its obvious that the guy has a thing for you..."

Maya gave him another look. "Why would you say that? All we ever were was friends."

"Yeah, that's the way you saw it. But trust me, I don't think that's the way he did."

She sighed. "Great. Cody told me the same thing last week..."

"See? If he and I both saw something, don't you think there might be something to it?"

"Again, I hope you're wrong, Zack."

"So do I, but my gut is telling me that I'm right."

"And when was the last time it was right about something?"

Zack paused and smiled. "When it told me not to be so dismissive about giving you a second chance."

Maya paused and a smile crept on to her face. "Okay, fair enough..." She leaned in and kissed him. "On that note though, I think I'm going to call it a night. For that matter, you should too. While I still wish you didn't feel the need to do this tomorrow, its going to me more exhaustive than you think it will."

He grinned. "I'll be there soon. I just have some final preparations to make for tomorrow..."

_Harvard's Newell Boathouse, the next morning_

Early on Saturday morning, Zack and Maya picked up Cody and Bailey as their townhouse was on the way from the Tipton to the boathouse. And once they all got there, they noticed that Will and his roommate were already there dressed ready to go. Victor smirked as he told Zack and Cody that their boat was already in the boathouse waiting for them, and all they needed to do was pick out oars they wanted. As they headed off to do that, Will smiled at Maya.

"I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I don't plan on holding anything back today. I know he's never done this before, but the only way I know how to do crew is all out."

She sighed. "I still don't see the need for this in the first place. As much as I keep telling Zack that, he thinks he needs to do this to prove something, but I told him he doesn't. He just has these crazy ideas in his head that he says his gut is telling him about. He should know by now that I love him no matter what and no one can ever change that. Whether or not he can row a boat has no effect on my desire to spend the rest of my life with him."

Will winced at hearing that. "Well, there was a challenge and an acceptance, so I can't back down. If I did, I'd never hear the end of it from my old teammates at Princeton."

"I can understand that. I wish you good luck today even though I'll be cheering for the other team."

"Thanks...I think. Well, we need to go get ready ourselves. See you afterwards."

Once they headed off, Maya turned to Bailey. "Can you explain to me why were here today? I've racked my brain over and over for a week and haven't come up with anything..."

She paused. "Actually, I think I can...at least a little bit anyways."

"Then I'm all ears."

"Its the 'Y' chromosome. It makes males naturally competitive with each other. Its part of their DNA to try to vanquish other males that they feel are a threat to them."

"But Cody isn't like that too, is he?"

Bailey laughed. "Oh yeah. Back on the boat, he could get really bad about it. When he first met Moose, he thought he had to beat him in arm wresting and chess so he would look better in my eyes. He lost horribly in both though. And then, he competed with me in ping pong, darts, basketball and Simon Says just to prove his masculinity to me..."

"I had no idea..."

She smiled. "Well, even though I did beat him, it all stopped when I told him that he had won the most important thing – my heart. After that, it really died down a lot."

Maya frowned. "But didn't you two arguing over a grade lead in part to your breakup?"

Bailey frowned. "I didn't say it all went away. Though, after that, our competitions have pretty much just reduced themselves down to our bets we make with each other."

"Any current ones on the table?"

"Well, there is one...but I don't think he has a chance of winning it all."

Maya laughed. "That's when you should really be worried. Remember, Cody is still a Martin. From what I've seen, its in their genes to do whatever it takes not to lose..."

"True..." Bailey paused. "You don't think they'd try to do something today, do you?"

Maya sighed. "Oh, I'm willing to bet that Zack has something up his sleeve. I'm afraid its all going to blow up in his face though."

"That does tend to happen."

"And I meant it when I said he has nothing to prove to anyone. Ever since we graduated high school, he's really grown up and matured. He should really be proud of who he is right now. I know I am..."

Bailey nodded. "Cody and I are too. Cody once told me he always knew his brother had potential in him, but he wasn't sure he'd ever see Zack live up to it."

"He definitely has. Of course, this whole situation has kind of put me in the middle here. I was hoping he and Will could end up being friends, but I seriously doubt that's going to happen now."

"Well, that was to be expected..."

Maya gave her a funny look. "Why do you say that?"

"Oh please! You think anybody wants to be friends with someone who has a thing for their significant other?"

She frowned. "Will doesn't have a thing for me. All we've ever been was friends."

"Yeah, maybe in your point of view. But its pretty obvious that he is hoping for more than that..."

"You really think so?" She sighed. "That's now you, Cody and Zack who have all said something to that effect. Am I missing something here?"

"Maybe. Its possible you still see him as he was years ago. I was kind of the same way with Moose. I remembered how he was with kids, and it took him attacking Cody to make me realize he wasn't the same person I once knew. Time changes people..."

Maya shook her head. "Great...Its not like Will and I are going to be best friends. I just thought it was nice to see an old familiar face."

Bailey nodded. "I know...and Julius Caesar probably thought the same thing about Brutus."

"So, what do you suggest I do about this now? How do I avoid something like this from happening again?"

Bailey smiled. "I think when the time is right, you'll know what you need to do..."

_Inside the boathouse_

Once Zack and Cody showed the boathouse master their Harvard student IDs, they were shown to their shell with a set of oars already attached. And after he told them they were the best of what he had left, they decided to go with them. Once the master headed back to his office, Cody began examining their boat by trying some out some of the tidbits of information he had researched the night before. As he did that, Zack grinned and reached for his pocket. Unfortunately for him, Cody could almost sense what he was about to do.

"Don't even think about it..."

Zack looked up at his brother. "Do what?"

"Whatever you're thinking about doing. I know you, Zack. You have something planned, and I'm here to put a stop to it ASAP..."

"Awww, come on, Codester...what's wrong with evening up the odds a little by giving ourselves a slight advantage?"

"If by advantage you mean using whatever natural skills we may discover we have or to use the skills we already possess, then fine. But if you mean advantage by something underhanded or in any way attempting to sabotage our opponents, then no. If you are thinking about doing anything like that, I have no problems leaving and heading back home right now..."

Zack sighed. "I was just going to try to give us a way to be competitive."

Cody gave him a look. "How? Both of them were All-American rowers in college! You and me, not so much! Neither one of us has ever done this before!"

"But we spent three years on a boat..."

He laughed. "Yeah, one powered by very large engines. And we were on a boat so large that we could forget we were even moving at times. Zack, there is a very good reason why we're significant underdogs here." He paused. "Why did you even agree to do this in the first place?"

Zack paused. "Because I don't like that Will guy. On my first day of orientation, I discovered that Amanda had gotten into Harvard too. Well, for lunch, we went out to celebrate, and I even called Maya to join us, but she wasn't unable to. Turns out that guy saw us and told Maya about it on Sunday. He tried to make me look bad to my girlfriend. Fortunately, she knew all about it beforehand, but what he did was a major violation of the guyble..."

Cody shook his head. "I thought you had given up on that thing..."

"For the most part, I have. But what he did was low down and underhanded. Plus, I figured you of all people would understand my motivation here."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Its very similar to what Theo tried to do to you while you were at Yale."

Cody paused and sighed. "That's true. But, Theo was a psychopath..."

"Maybe this guy is too? After all, he did go to Princeton too. And you've always told me about the kind of people who end up going there..."

He sighed again. "I knew I should have kept my big mouth shut about that."

"But you can understand why I'm doing this. Beyond that, I think and Maya told me you also think the guy has the hots for my girlfriend even though she thinks were crazy. You've had to deal with that yourself with how Moose would keep trying to come back into your lives."

Cody stopped to think before exhaling. "Alright, fine, I understand why you're doing this, but I won't be a party to anything underhanded..."

Zack gave him a look. "Wouldn't be the first time for you. Have you forgotten Bailey's perpetual motion machine back in high school?"

He glared at him. "That was an accident!"

"Yeah...uh huh...keep telling yourself that."

"Whatever. Those are my terms. Accept them, or I'm out of here."

Zack groaned. "Fine, but this is going to be a disaster then."

"Could of told you that last week. Now, hand me that bottle of water."

Zack shrugged before handing him the bottle. But instead of drinking out of it, Cody poured the water into the bottom of the shell.

"What are you doing?"

"Testing for leaks. I'm sure we'll end up in the river somehow, but I want to avoid it being because our boat sunk."

Zack rolled his eyes. "I'm sure all of these boats are..." But before he could finish, he couldn't help noticing water dripping from the bottom of the boat. "Son of a...they tried to sabotage us!"

"You don't know that for sure..." Cody reached for his backpack. "But, I can fix this." He pulled out a can from his bag and began spraying something over the hole in the hull.

"What is that stuff?"

Cody grinned. "Its that liquid rubber stuff you see advertised on TV. You know, the stuff they put a screen door on the bottom of a boat, sprayed this stuff on it, and it was seaworthy."

"Oh yeah..." Zack paused. "Why do you have it?"

"Bailey and I both thought it would be handy to have around the house and for other things. Looks like it was..."

"While I'm glad you brought that stuff, I still think this was deliberate. Turnabout is fair play!"

Cody sighed. "Wouldn't you rather win the honorable way?"

Zack smirked at him. "And how do you propose we do that?"

Cody had to admit that was a very good question that he didn't really have a good answer to. And as he thought, he glanced around the boathouse until something caught his eye. "Zack, call me crazy, but I think I have an idea..."

_The Charles River_

At exactly ten o'clock, the race began. And as pretty much expected, it wasn't that close of a race for the first three quarters of it. In fact, by the time the twins got to the 1500 meter mark, the other team was only a hundred meters from the finish line. Despite their best efforts, Zack and Cody's lack of experience and race conditioning were huge factors in them trailing. The only thing that prevented the race from already being over was Victor and Will weren't in the same shape they had been their senior years at Princeton. After the season was over coupled with their impending graduation, they had no need to keep training as they had been. But it was at that point though that Cody finally gasped out.

"You ready?"

Zack grunted. "Lets do this!"

At that moment, both of them stopped rowing and began freaking out, waving their arms and yelling out that their boat was taking on water and about to sink. Naturally, Bailey and Maya had been following the race the whole time and stopped when they saw the shell stop.

"What are they doing?"

Bailey leaned in to try to hear what Cody was yelling. And when she finally heard him, she gasped. "Oh no! Their boat is taking on water and sinking!"

Maya's eyes went wide. "I just knew something bad would happen today!"

But they weren't the only ones who noticed. Due to the fact that you face backwards in rowing, Victor and Will saw their opponents stopping as well.

Will frowned. "What the hell are those two doing?"

Victor laughed. "Something that I'm surprised took this long. Lets just say I saw to it that we would win..."

Will turned around to stare at him. "What did you do?"

"Same thing we did in our final match against Penn last year. Making sure we go out with a bang. Besides, I figured you'd be grateful I did it..."

"Why would you think that?"

"Face it, Will. If their boat sinks, imagine how inept they'll look. This is going to make that Zack guy look really bad in your girl's eyes. It won't be long now before she dumps the loser."

Will shook his head. "You really are an idiot! We have to turn around and head back and help them."

"Lets finish first and then we can. We're almost there."

"No, we do it now! I want to win, but not like this! I still have some honor..."

Victor rolled his eyes, but they both began turning their shell around to head back towards Zack and Cody. And once they were finally rowing back towards them, Zack grinned.

"Your stupid idea actually worked!"

And just like that, Zack and Cody retook their spots in the boat and began rowing with everything they had left in them. Unfortunately for Will and Victor, they didn't realize this until Zack and Cody passed them going the other direction about two hundred and fifty meters from the finish line. And by then, even with their experience, there was no way for them to turn their boat back around and catch back up to them.

When Zack and Cody exited their boat at the mooring at the boathouse, Maya and Bailey were there to give them congratulatory hugs and kisses. But they were still confused about what had just happened.

"Wait a minute! I thought you guys were yelling that you were taking on water..."

Zack grinned. "All part of our plan."

Maya gave him a look. "You guys faked that?"

Cody spoke up. "Well, not entirely. We did discover our boat did have a hole in its hull, but we fixed it before we ever put it in the water."

"But what you guys did wasn't very sportsmanlike..."

Zack grinned. "It was when we discovered who put the hole in our boat in the first place. Turnabout is fair play..." About that time, Will and Victor walked up and neither looked happy." Zack continued. "Broseph noticed there were security cameras mounted in the boathouse. So, we told the master about the hole in our boat and asked him to check the tapes to see if anyone had tampered with it..." He turned and scowled at Will and Victor. "I'm sure you two know what the tape showed, don't you?"

Victor looked away, but Will hung his head. "Look, I can explain. Its not what it looks like..."

Unfortunately for him, he was about to feel the wrath of a very ticked off Maya. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Will. "You two tried to sabotage the boat of two people who had never rowed before? That may be the lowest, vilest thing I've ever heard of anyone doing. Will, I thought you were better than that!"

He held up his hands. "I didn't know Vic had don't that until we were out on the water. When I found out..."

She cut him off. "Save it! And to think, I used to think you were my friend..." She turned to Zack. "Come on, Babe. Lets go home..."

Zack smiled. "Sure thing..." And as he turned to follow Maya out, he smirked at Will.

Seeing their rides about to leave them, Cody and Bailey quickly followed after them. And as they did, Bailey had to laugh. "Nice to see the Martin sneakiness alive and well in you..."

He laughed too. "I guess I can't deny it anymore, huh? But you know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"I didn't get wet!"

_To be Continued..._


	9. Speak of the Devil

_Chapter 9_

_"Speak of the Devil"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Townhouse _

It was close to one o'clock that afternoon when Cody and Bailey finally returned back to their townhouse that Saturday. They would have been back sooner, but Zack wanted to stop for a celebratory lunch, and he had even volunteered to pick up the check. Combining the odds of him ever doing that again any time soon with the fact that they had nothing else planned for the rest of their day, a free lunch sounded really good to Cody and Bailey. But when they finally did get home, both just collapsed into their couch to finally catch their breathes after their long morning.

As they did, Bailey looked over at him and smiled. "You know, Cody, I know I've said it before, but I'm really proud of you. You did something today you've never done before and did it well. You and Zack actually beat two people at something that they were All-Americans at in college."

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess we did." He paused and laughed. "I have to admit, that was more brutal than any of my workouts from the past couple of years. Its several hours later, and my shirt is just now starting to dry out. For me not having falling into the river, I was practically soaked when we got done."

She laughed too. "Well, I won't lie to you...seeing your shirt clinging to you due to sweat was definitely a view I enjoyed immensely. In fact, I believe I told you that very thing when I first found out you were working out back at Yale."

"Well, I hope you won't mind if I find other ways to achieve the same look from now on. I seriously doubt I'll ever do crew ever again."

Bailey gave him a funny look. "Why not? I've actually read where its a really good workout."

Cody smiled at her. "Well, like you said, we beat two All-Americans at it. Yeah, we might not have done everything by the book, but I don't think I could ever top this experience if I did it again. You know the old saying - quit while you're ahead." He paused. "And secondly, I don't think I'll ever do it again because I can't move my arms now!"

She gave him a concerned look. "What? You can't feel your arms?"

"Well, not exactly. I can feel them, but every muscle in my arms, my shoulders and my back feels like they are on fire right now. Unless I've missed by guess, I think the adrenaline surge I got while I was doing it has finally worn off."

Bailey laughed. "Awww...my poor baby. Lie back and let me rub your shoulders for you then."

And once he did, she did, and Cody sighed in contentment. "That feels heavenly, Sweetie. I may let you keep doing that for the next couple of hours."

"Oh, you will, huh?"

"Uh huh." He exhaled. "I guess this is one more thing I can cross off of my list of things I always wanted to do..."

"You wanted to do that before?"

"Yeah, kind of. I mean, the years I grew up in Boston, I was always going over to Harvard for one thing or another. And sometimes, I would see their team out practicing out on the river. I guess I saw crew as something that was so Ivy League that it appealed to me. I always wondered what it would be like to do that and be part of that world." He laughed. "I guess I do now."

"I would say so. What else is on your list, Cody?"

He paused to think. "Well, surprisingly, I've crossed off a lot of them already. I wanted to see Seven Wonders of the Ancient World or where they were supposed to be. Done that. I wanted to study at an Ivy League University. Done that twice now. I wanted to be a published author. Did that with my cookbooks." He looked up at her and smiled. "And most importantly, I found the woman of my dreams and convinced her to marry me."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Yeah, I guess you're doing pretty well then. From what you've told me, the only thing you have left to do is become the first doctor/lawyer/astronaut."

Cody laughed. "Oh yeah. Well, I've given up on that. Yeah, I'm on my way to being a doctor, but now that I'm older and wiser, I've traded in the other two for two more even more fulfilling roles."

"Yeah? What are those?"

"Well, instead of a lawyer, I'm a husband now. I think that's way more important."

She leaned down and kissed him. "So do I."

He couldn't help teasing her though. "But, my winning percentage in arguments is going to suffer greatly..."

"Cody!"

He laughed. "Just kidding, Sweetie. Even when we do argue, there is no one else I'd rather argue with. Besides, unlike being a lawyer...an ethical one anyways, even when I do lose an argument, I still come out a winner when we make up."

She just gave him a look. "Uh huh. Back on topic, what job did you trade in being an astronaut for?"

Cody smiled. "Well, it won't be for a few more years..." He reached out and knocked on their wooden coffee table. "...but my third job will be that of a Dad. Whatever else I do in my life, that will be my most important job ever."

Bailey smiled back again. "I couldn't agree more."

"What about you, Sweetie? Do you have a list of things you always wanted to do?"

She paused to think. "Actually, I do. And like you, I guess I've checked off more than I had realized. I've gotten to see the world. Well, all but one continent..."

He laughed. "And I've promised you I'm going to make that happen."

"I know you will, Sweetie. And I've gotten an education from an Ivy League School. And I'm well on my way to being a pediatrician." She smiled at him again. "And like you, I've met my perfect feller and married him. And like you said, I'll be a mother when the time is right for us. So, all of the major things I've wanted to accomplish, I already have or am on track for them to happen."

"What about any kind of minor things?"

"I do want to visit every state and every state capital at some point. Through our adventures, I'd say I'm about halfway through that now."

Cody nodded. "Good call on that. That should be on my list too." He paused. "Now, does when we visited San Juan, Puerto Rico count? When we visited there while on the boat, it was still a U.S. Territory. Since it chose to apply for statehood and became one a couple of years ago, do we have to return there to check it off our lists?"

She paused. "I don't know. That's a good question, Sweetie. One one hand, we have been there. But on the other, we haven't been there while it was a state."

"Tell you what. Some day, we'll return and check it off properly. Now, is there anything else on your list?"

Bailey paused again. "Well, there is one thing I've wanted to do for a while that is actually kind of similar to what you did today. I guess I could work on knocking it out here soon..."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Well, ever since we visited Greece on the boat and got to visit Athens, Sparta and all of the other city states, I've kind of thought I'd like to try running a marathon."

He gave her a surprised look. "A marathon? Have you forgotten what happened to poor Pheidippides when he was the first person to ever run one?"

Bailey laughed. "No, Sweetie, I remember exactly what happened to him. But I seriously doubt I'm going to collapse and die immediately after I finish it...if I finish it that is."

Cody shrugged. "If you say so..." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "You don't want me to run it with you, do you?"

She shook her head. "Not unless you want to."

"I don't. No offense, Bails, but I get a little tired just driving 26.2 miles. Plus, I still have my trick knee. If I even made it through the first couple of miles, I'm pretty sure they'd eventually find me sprawled out somewhere waiting for a street sweeper to dispose of me."

She laughed again. "After today, I know you could do it you put your mind to it and dedicated yourself to training for it as well."

"No thanks, Sweetie, but if this is something you really want to do, I'll support you 110%. I'll even be the guy out there holding out bottles of water for you every couple of miles."

"I might take you up on that."

"And, fortunately for you, you don't have to go far to do one. We are in Boston, and they do have one here that is considered kind of a big deal."

She smiled. "And that's the one I had in mind. Since its always held on Patriot's Day and Harvard cancels classes for that holiday, I figure it would work perfectly."

He gave her another look. "So, you think you'll be ready to run one in only seven months?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be? I like to think I'm in pretty good shape."

Cody laughed. "Sweetheart, you know I happen to love your shape, but being in shape doesn't necessarily translate to long distance running. Just how far can you run right now? I'm guessing not very far..."

Bailey smirked at him. "I don't know, but that's what I intend to go find out right now! The park near us has a running track, so I'll go find out this afternoon. I mean, you've had your exercise for the day, time for me to have mine."

"Well, knock yourself out. I'll be here when you get back." He paused and laughed again. "In fact, I'll probably still be right here on the couch. You know, since I can't move my upper body."

She smiled. "Well, when I get back and feel great after my workout, I'll try not to rub it in too much."

He laughed. "Uh huh. Go right ahead then, Bails."

Ten minutes later, Bailey changed into some running clothes and was out of the house to see what she could do. Cody took the opportunity to lay back on the couch and watch some of the recorded television shows he had missed out on the night before while he was doing research. Plus, he figured he might be able to get an idea of what Bailey had in mind of their Halloween costumes as well. Besides, its not like he really had much else he could do until his muscles stopped being so sore. But as he was laying there watching some show from the Science Channel that theorized that the Earth once had two moons, he was caught off guard when he felt four paws land squarely on his chest and knock the wind out of him. Cody didn't have time to react as he soon found himself looking into two green eyes that didn't look happy.

"Al? What are you..."

_"Don't worry about it! You and I need to talk right now!"_

Suddenly, Cody was really worried.

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

Meanwhile, across town, Zack and Maya were returning back to their suite at the Tipton Hotel. And like Cody, Zack's adrenaline rush was wearing off as well. In fact, he couldn't raise his arm to push the button to call the elevator or the button for the 23rd floor. Fortunately, Maya had her keys and unlocked the door which means he didn't have to struggle to pull his key out of his pocket. And once inside, they too immediately crashed down on their couch. As Zack was grimacing as he was feeling soreness in muscles he didn't even know he had, Maya found herself deep in thought. And despite his exhaustion and excruciating pain, Zack couldn't help but notice the countenance on her face.

"You okay, Babe?"

Maya sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. Today was very...educational. I learned some things today that I never thought I would have to."

"Yeah, I guess I can see that..." He paused. "You want to talk about it?"

She laid her head back and closed her eyes. "Maybe it would help if I did? Its kind of disheartening to realize that things and people I thought I knew that I don't really know after all."

"That thing and person you thought you knew being Will, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, I thought he was my friend, but the person I thought I knew all those years ago never would have done today what he did."

Zack had to nod. "Yeah, that was pretty low down of him and his buddy."

Maya turned to look at him. "Exactly! I mean, I could have kind of understood if you had done something like that to try to level the playing field some, but you didn't. You only reacted to what they had already done."

He paused as he began feeling a little guilty. Not like the feeling, he decided to confess. "Well, that's not exactly accurate. If I'm being honest, I kind of sort of had the same idea they did. I had a plan to do some sabotaging of my own..."

She gave him a surprised look. "You did? And you're admitting to it?"

Zack nodded and sighed. "Yeah, but Cody wouldn't let me go through it. You know, he's been like Jiminy Cricket for me for my whole life. Well, until you took over that role..." He paused. "But, I guess he was right. It would have been wrong to try to cheat to win."

Maya gave him a small smile. "Well, I appreciate you telling me. And you at least didn't go through with it. That can't be said for your opponents." Maya paused this time. "Maybe if you tell me why you almost did I can try to understand why they did?"

"The truth?"

"Please."

"Call it self defense, Maya, but when another guy starts sniffing around your girlfriend, one's natural response is to get rid of him in any way he can. Now, I know you've said he was just a friend..."

She cut him off. "That's all he ever was to me..." Then she sighed. "But its come to my attention that its almost unanimous among everyone else that he didn't share that same view point..."

"Well, I kind of know what that's like..."

"You do?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, from the viewpoint of thinking someone was just your friend only to discover they might not share that same opinion. I've told you the story about Max and me from when we were younger, haven't I?"

"Max? Was she the one we met that New Year's Eve in New York?"

"Yeah, that's her. Anyways, I always saw her as just a friend too until one day she surprised me by kissing me. And to try to keep team harmony, I was convinced to take her out on a real date. Fortunately for me, just as quickly as she thought she might like as more than a friend, she decided that she didn't. And even more fortunately, we were able to go back to being friends without it affecting our friendship."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately, I don't see that same thing happening here. Will crossed a line and could have put yours and Cody's lives in jeopardy. What if one of you two had drowned?"

He smiled. "Maya, I know how to swim, and even Cody knows how to doggy paddle."

"Still, you could have hit your head against the side of the boat and been knocked unconscious or something like that. If you were unconscious, it wouldn't have mattered if you knew how to swim."

"That's true I suppose, but I do know you and Bailey were both there along the shore..." He grinned. "Call it a hunch, but I think you two would have dove in to save us if we had been in trouble."

"Of course we would have..." She paused shook her head. "But its even more than that. I'm starting to wonder if you were right about what else you said about Will."

That caught Zack's attention and he teased her. "You're admitting I might have been right about something?"

Maya gave him a look. "Don't let it go to your head."

He laughed. "Oh, alright. Cody just keeps telling me to savor these moments when they happen..." He paused and took a deep breath. "Okay, enough savoring. What exactly was I potentially right about?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I think you might be correct in your theory that he might have tried underhanded things back when I knew him in high school. Maybe he was responsible for sending me those pictures and they really did show nothing that should have concerned me."

"Oh..."

"Either that, or he's really changed in the last five years. And if that's the way he is now, I have no desire to know the new version of him. I thought people were supposed to mature as they grew older."

"That's what I was always told." Zack paused. "Maybe Cody is right? Maybe Princeton really does do bad things to people? Its where Theo went after all. And Cody does say its the armpit of the Ivy League."

Maya had to laugh. "As a New Yorker, I dislike New Jersey as much as anyone, but I doubt that's it. And, I think your brother has an irrational hatred of Princeton. I mean, it can't be that bad, right? Two people who went there isn't enough to make broad generalizations."

"I guess you're right. I mean, when I was younger, I hated all things New York. Look at me now."

She smiled. "You still hate all New York sports teams."

He smiled back. "Yeah, but I'm head over heels in love with a New York girl..." He teased her. "...though, I'm slowly and surely converting her to being a Boston girl."

"Yeah, good luck with that." She kissed his cheek. "Besides, you know, in the grand scheme of things, what Will did today or what he might have done in high school doesn't really matter."

"Yeah?"

She smiled at him again. "Yeah. I truly believe whatever may have happened back then was just a setup to lead me to where I am today. I love my life today, and that's what I'm going to focus all of my attention on. I went five years without having Will as a friend in my life, and it turned out just fine. So, if this is who he wants to be now, I don't need him as a friend."

"Really?"

"Really. And don't let this go to your head either, but right now, I know I am exactly where I'm meant to be."

He smiled back at her. "Me too." He paused and laughed. "Well, right now, I might be meant to be in a tub full of ice to soothe my sore muscles. But you know what I mean..."

"That sore, huh?"

"You saw how bad I was in the elevator. I think I'll stick to basketball from now on and leave rowing to professionals."

Maya laughed. "Awww, my poor baby. So much for living on a boat being an advantage, huh?"

Zack sighed. "I would say so. And something tells me I'll shudder every time I walk past the hotel's fitness room and see the rowing machine there..."

She teased him. "Yeah, like you walk past there often as it is..."

"Hey!"

Maya laughed. "Settle down, Honey. Tell you what. Why don't I run down the drugstore down the street and get you some Epsom salts for you to put in a bath."

"Do that stuff actually work?"

"Yeah, it does." She grinned. "Remember, I'm studying to be a physical therapist. You're in good hands with me, Zack."

He smiled back. "I always am."

"Good answer. Now, before I head out, let me rub your shoulders and arms for a little bit. Try to keep the lactic acid from building up as much as we can."

"Sounds good to me." Zack laid on his stomach, and Maya began giving him a massage. After a while, he sighed in contentment. "Oh yeah..."

"Does that feel good."

"Uh huh. Sure does. Of course, you've also got me thinking of other things now too."

"Like what?"

"Well, since her name was brought up, I'm kind of wondering what Max is up to nowadays. Its like you said...I haven't seen her since that night in New York."

Maya shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll run into her again soon?"

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

Cody could only lay there while Albert continued giving him a death glare and growling at him. If he thought the last time Al had attacked him was bad, this one could potentially be even worse. With his arms still too sore to use them effectively to defend himself, Cody was pretty sure he was dead to rights if that was what the cat so chose to do. However, he was surprised when Al stopped growling and asked him a simple question instead.

_"How is it that you can understand what I'm saying and I can understand what you're saying? Back on the farm, I couldn't understand the humans. And even here, I can't understand what the female is saying."_

Cody sighed in relief that he wasn't about to be torn to shreds. "First off, her name is Bailey, and no, she can't understand you or vice versa. Now, as for how I can, I can't tell you why. Lets just say I did something to make it happen, and I want you to know I have a very good reason for doing what I did."

"_Yeah, and what would that be?"_

"Well, no offense, but you've been severely ticked off at me since the second day you came to live with us here..."

Al growled again and cut him off. _"Gee...I wonder why?"_

Cody swallowed realizing he was just angering the cat again. "Look, Bailey and I did what we thought was best for you. In the long run, what we did will be extremely beneficial to you..."

_"Uh huh. Like I believe that. Thanks to you, I can't have any kittens of my own!"_

Without stopping to think, Cody answered. "Well, to be fair, its been shown that male cats aren't the best of fathers. Once they...ummm...complete the deed and fertilize the female cat's eggs, they don't tend to stick around and be good parents."

Al growled again. _"Well, you never gave me the chance to prove that to be wrong! How would you like if I returned the favor?"_

He gulped. "I wouldn't if I were you. You do that, and you'll have a very ticked off Bailey on your hands. Did you know she once neutered a bull with her bare hands? You're lucky we took you to a vet and had you put under anesthesia."

Al cringed at hearing that. _"A bull? Seriously?"_

"Seriously. And, she's very protective of me. Add that to the fact that she wants to have lots and lots of kids, and you probably wouldn't like what she would do to you..."

_"How do I know you're not trying to yank my tail?"_

"I swear to you that I'm not..." Cody paused to think of a way to reason with the cat. "Plus, you need to think about all the benefits and perks you have of living here with us."

_"Yeah? Like what?"_

"Well, for one, you never have to worry about hunting for your own food. Twice a day, we provide you with all the nutritious food you can eat and all the water you can lap up."

Al stopped to consider that. _"Go on..."_

"Ummm...And we provide you with a comfortable place to sleep. You never have to worry about it being too hot or too cold. You never have to worry about getting trapped in a rain or a snow storm or any other kind of inclement weather."

_"I suppose that's true..."_

"And then there is the biggie. House cats live on average between thirteen and fifteen years while an outdoor cat only lives about three to five years..."

Al paused. _"What's a year?"_

Cody laughed realizing that certain concepts like time that he had learned about from an early age meant absolutely nothing to an animal like Albert. So, he tried to think of a way that would make sense to Albert. "Well, you know how everyday, the sun rises and then sets?"

_"Yeah..."_

"Well, every time the sun rises, that signals the beginning of a new day. And every year, there are three hundred and sixty-five days in a year." He paused. "Well, most years - every four years, we have something called a leap year where there are three hundred and sixty-six days so we keep the calendar year in sync with the astronomical year." He paused again. "Well, that's not always true. Years that are integer multiples of 100 are not leap years, unless they are also integer multiples of 400, in which case they are leap years..."

Al cut him off. _"Okay, okay, I think I get the picture!"_

"Good. Plus, there are other advantages of you living here with us. For one, you won't have to worry about coyotes or other animals that could view you as food back on the farm. And you don't have to worry about mishaps with farm machinery"

_"I guess I can see that. My Mom did once tell me that I did once have an uncle before he caught caught by a tractor..." _Al cringed. _"...What a way to go..."_

Cody cringed too. "Yeah, that would suck. No tractors here. And as long as you don't go outside here, you won't have to worry about cars either."

_"Fair enough..."_ He paused. _"What about that other thing you push around that makes a lot of noise? That things creeps me out!"_

"You mean the vacuum cleaner? Alright, how about this then? Whenever we vacuum, I'll let you know before hand so you can find a safe and quiet place to hid from it?"

_"Yeah, I guess that can work. And I guess it hasn't been all that bad living here. At least you guys let me stay inside. Back on the farm, I had to stay in the barn and was never let inside the house."_ He growled again. _"I hated the farm!"_

Cody empathized with him. "Well, I can't say I blame you too much for feeling that. Bailey's sister, Amy, hated living on the farm too, and to be fair, my first time there was pretty much a disaster. But, it has gotten better and better every time I've been there since. I actually feel at home there now."

Albert growled again. _"Well, I never did! Yeah, I sometimes miss my brothers and sisters, but there are other parts of that place I don't miss at all!"_

"Yeah, like what?"

_"Most of all, I definitely don't miss those chickens! I hate those suckers! They would always peck at me!"_

Cody had to laugh at hearing that. "I know exactly what you mean! I hate those suckers too. My first time there, they tried to peck me too. In fact, thanks to them, I no longer feel bad about eating poultry now..."

_"You and me both! Speaking of food though, how come the food you do give me sucks so bad? Its all dry. Dude, I need some real food every now and then. And yeah, I do like tuna, but I'd like a little variety in my diet!"_

He just nodded. "Alright, I think we can work on that. But, and this is a big but, before I change your diet any, I need to speak to your veterinarian. I don't want to give you anything that is bad for you."

_Al paused before nodding. "Okay, fair enough."_

"Good. Once I get the okay, we'll try different things and you'll tell me if you like them or not." Cody paused. "But if I'm going to do that for you, you have to do something for me."

_"Like what?"_

"Well, how about being a little nicer to me from now on. I'm not evil personified. I like to think I'm actually a pretty good guy. I just think you and I got off to a bad start with each other." He sighed. "Kind of like I did with Clyde and Professor Hyden..."

_"Huh?"_

Quickly, Cody filled him in on his first encounters with both of them. "But they both came around and seem to like me now just fine. In fact, Clyde liked me so much he gave me his blessing to marry his daughter. I'm kind of hoping you and I can be friends too eventually."

Albert paused. _"Maybe. You keep up your end of our bargain, and I promise I won't attack you anymore either. As for us being friends, we'll see."_

"That's all I can ask. Besides, it sounds like you and I have a lot in common. We both hate the chickens on the farm..." He laughed. "In fact, at Christmas, they let me be the one to cut the head off of the chicken to be served for Christmas Dinner. So, I've gotten my revenge on them as they now think I'm the grim reaper..."

Al laughed. _"No way! You have to let me help you with that!"_

Cody grinned. "Well, I think that can be arranged...for friends of mine."

The cat stuck out his paw and Cody shook it. _"Deal!"_ He yawned. _"Alright, I need another nap. I'm worn out. It takes a lot out of you doing nothing all day..."_

"I could use a nap myself. Its already been a long day."

And with that, Al jumped down off of Cody's chest and sauntered off to find himself a good place to take a nap. Cody laid his head back and was just about to get comfortable when the door to the townhouse opened. A few minutes later, Bailey stumbled over to the couch and collapsed next to him.

He couldn't help but to smile. "Problems, Sweetie? You're back sooner that I expected..."

She sighed. "Go ahead...rub it in. I ran a little over three miles and the muscles in my legs began to burn like yours are. Add that to how sore the bottoms of my feet are, I realized I was in trouble."

Cody kept smiling. "Think you'll be ready to go almost eight times that far in seven months?"

She closed her eyes and laid her head back. "Uh uh. I know when to admit defeat. I think I'll push it back to trying it in 2017. That way, I'll have nineteen months to get myself ready."

"Whatever you say, Dear..."

Bailey just started laughing. "Aren't we a fine pair though? You can't use your arms and I can't use my legs. I almost called you to come pick me up in the car, but I realized that could have been dangerous."

"Probably so. Since we are so sore though, lets just both stay here and order in a pizza later?"

"Sounds perfect to me. So, what did you get into while I was gone? Do anything productive?"

He grinned. "Oh, actually I was just doing a little male bonding with Al."

She turned and gave him intrigued look. "He didn't run away from you again?"

"Nope, he actually joined me on the couch, and we had a good chat. You know, I think he and I might have finally come to an understanding."

She shook her head and yawned thinking Cody was even more tired than she realized. "What ever you say, Sweetie..."

_Boston University Fit&Rec Center_

On that following Friday afternoon, Maya was just finishing up her final shift and patient of the week. And despite everything she had done that week, she wasn't as tired as she thought she might have been. Even though she was now taking more difficult graduate level courses, she didn't find them to be all that much more grueling. Well, at the very least, not as tedious as some of the stories she had already heard from Zack, Cody and Bailey about their respective grad school classes. But since it was Friday afternoon, she knew she was looking at a weekend off as soon as her last client left. Of course, her last patient was someone she knew - Gabby. And once their session for the day was over, Maya smiled at her.

"So, be honest. Do you hate me now?"

Gabby looked up at her trying to catch her breath. "Well, right now, I don't particularly like you that much..." She took another deep breath and smiled. "But, I do respect you."

Maya laughed. "Works for me. How does your knee feel?"

"Sore and even more sore, but it is feeling better than it once did."

"Good. Before long, we'll get it as strong as it once was."

"Maybe you do. I just want it to feel normal again."

She laughed again. "Yeah, yeah. So, how are your classes going so far?"

Gabby shrugged. "Not as bad as I had feared. I mean, its not a piece of cake, but I think I'm surviving." She paused. "But, I imagine that's probably the same thing Cody and Bailey tell you..."

Maya shook her head. "Well, yeah, but you can never tell with those two. It seems that when it comes to school, everything comes so easy for them. And not just the information. Zack and our friend Dennis always used to give them pure hell when they were at Yale because of the ridiculous schedules they would luck into."

"Why didn't you?"

"Yeah, right! Those two helped me get A's in my physics classes one summer when I had no idea what was going on. And they would help me with other classes I had too. I wasn't about to risk ticking them off when I still needed their help."

"Probably a good idea. And I imagine we'll all probably be on edge the next couple of weeks. Our first ever final for our first class is two weeks from today."

Maya winced. "Ohhh...that doesn't sound any fun at all."

"Oh, it won't be, but it could be a lot worse. We either get a grade of successful or unsuccessful. So, its not like we have to worry about trying to get as high a grade as we can. Someone can ace it or pass by one point and still get the same grade."

"Hmmm. I don't remember Cody or Bailey ever mentioning that fact before, but I'm betting its probably to keep the rest of us from giving them more hell about it. Anyways, I wish you good luck studying for it."

Gabby smiled. "Thanks. I'll need it."

"You still going to have time to join us next Saturday night? Since our birthdays are all so close, we'll be celebrating mine, Zack's and Cody's all at one time. Our friend London has reserved the hotel's private dining room and is paying for everything, so it should be a fun night."

"Yeah, Bailey mentioned it to me earlier this week. I think by then, I'll be grateful for a chance to unwind, blow off some steam and spend one night without my nose in a book."

Maya grinned. "I think we all will. I think everyone is realizing just how different grad school classes are from undergrad ones."

"You're telling me! And while I'm dealing with that, I'm also having to get used to a completely different climate. I grew up in Arizona and went to college in Southern California. I'm not used to seeing it being below fifty degrees in September. And I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing snow for the first time in my life..."

"First time ever? Wow!"

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm used to it being over a hundred degrees with no humidity. Even the summer here wasn't any fun because of how muggy it gets around here."

"Trust me. If we get hit by a Noreaster, you'll gladly wish for some of dog days of a Boston summer."

"We'll see..." She sighed. "I guess I should get back home and back to studying. The last thing I need right now is to fall behind in my reading."

Maya nodded. "I know the feeling. Zack's working on a project with his group from school tonight and will probably be home late. So, I'm planning on heading home and curling up with my Musculoskeletal Systems I book. Should be a real hoot."

Gabby laughed. "Your Friday night sounds almost as fun as mine does."

"Yeah, but we're doing the mature and responsible thing...I guess."

"Tell me about it..."

Maya was about to say something else when her boss walked into the pool area.

"Good, I caught you before you left for the day, Maya..."

"What's up?"

"We have a new patient who needs to schedule some appointments with you, and she's here hoping to do that today."

She shrugged. "Sure, send her on back."

Gabby gathered her things. "I'll let you get back to work then. See you on Monday, Maya."

Before she could leave though, a young woman with a brace on her knee hobbled into the area on crutches. But as soon as she saw Maya, she paused and gave her a funny look.

"You look really familiar to me. Do I know you?"

Maya stopped to think as the young lady looked really familiar to her as well. "I think so. I'm almost positive I've met you before. My name's Maya Bennett."

The young woman had a light bulb moment and smiled. "You're Maya! You're Zack's friend!" She laughed. "We met a few years ago in New York City. I'm Max..."

_To be Continued..._

**AN: Since I had election day off, I was able to get some more done on this story. And by the way, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I did successfully predict the outcome of this election during SLOC, Season 4 several months ago. So, if post power ball numbers in this story, pay attention...lol**_  
_


	10. Double Deuces

_Chapter 10_

_"Double Deuces"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Boston University Fit&Rec Center_

Almost immediately after the young woman had introduced herself as Max, Maya had a light bulb moment. Immediately, she had a flashback of meeting her at the restaurant before everyone headed out to ring in the new year in Times Square. Sure, the girl had matured in the past few years, but Maya was able recognize her. And as soon as she did, she began chuckling to herself that she had just mentioned to Zack a few days prior that he might run into Max again soon.

"Of course I remember you now! You're the twins friend! You're the girl that grew up with Zack and Cody here in Boston, and we ran into you in New York City a few years ago. I'm Maya..."

Max smiled and her eyes lit up in recognition. "That's why you looked familiar to me! You're Zack's friend that I met that night. I was actually planning on stopping by the Tipton once I left here to see if Zack still lived there. I remember that Cody was off at Yale, but I didn't know if he was back in town now or not. I haven't been able to keep in touch as much as I would have liked, and I figured they've both probably graduated college by now."

"Yeah, they're both college graduates now. And both are back in Boston now too. In fact, Zack does still live at the Tipton. He and I have our own suite down the hall from the one the twins grew up in..."

That caught Max's attention. "Own suite? You two live together?"

Maya smiled. "Yeah, we've moved beyond being friends and are a couple...again. We officially reunited close to two and a half years ago."

Max was even more shocked. "Zack's actually been in a relation with the same girl for over two years now?"

Maya laughed. "Yeah, he has. He's really grown up a lot since in the past several years. He and I have even talked about making our relationship more permanent somewhere down the line."

Max just shook her head. "Wow...never thought I'd ever see this day. But good for you two then. I definitely need to go see him again and see the new and improved version of Zack." She paused. "Well, if you two have been together for over two years, I'm guessing you're still taking good care of him for me."

She laughed again. "As best as I can, but you know how Zack can me. He doesn't always make it easy..."

"Oh, I know that all too well. So, now that he's a college grad, what's he up to nowadays anyways?"

Maya grinned. "Still in in school. He's now a MBA student over at the Harvard Business School..."

Everything else she had heard had surprised Max, but hearing that just about knocked her over. "Zack? Harvard?" She shook her head. "Never saw that one coming. I think I have less trouble believing he's been in a serious relationship than that."

"Well, before all of it happened, I think he would have agreed with you. And even after he got into Harvard, he didn't want to go. I practically had to drag him kicking and screaming for him to even agree to give it a chance..." She grinned. "Of course, now, he says its no big deal..."

"Well, keep up the good work then. I can see you're definitely taking very good care of him then..." Max shook her head and laughed. "Wow. I still can't get over Zack at Harvard. Even when we lived in Boston, he was afraid to go over to Cambridge because he thought all the nerds over there would rub off on to him or infect him. And now, he's one of them."

"Yeah, I have fun teasing him about that too."

"I guess that makes both the twins Ivy Leaguers now, thought I always knew Cody was more the type and really wanted to go there. I guess he did at Yale."

"It took a little magic to get him in to Yale, but once he got in, he took no prisoners and dominated. Both he and Bailey both did as they both graduated with honors with matching 4.0s. Now, they're both at Harvard Medical School. They started there about a week or so after they got back from their honeymoon..."

Max cut her off again. "Excuse me? Honeymoon? Are you telling me that Cody's married now?"

"Yeah, to Bailey. It was no real surprise though. I mean, they had pretty much been dating for seven years at the time. You've actually met her too."

"I have?" She paused to think. "Wait a minute. Was Bailey the same girl I saw him with in New York? Now that I think about it, he did introduce her as the girl of his dreams..."

Maya laughed. "Yeah, that's definitely Bailey or Mrs. Martin now if you will. And before you ask, she's taking real good care of him too. Like I said, they got married this past July over in Hawaii, and now, they have a townhouse over near the medical school campus."

"Well, it looks like both of my boys are doing very well for themselves..." She sighed. "I just wish I had done a better job of keeping in touch with them these past few years. I would have loved to have been at Cody's wedding."

Maya frowned. "Now that I think about, I'm almost sure they invited you. Why didn't you go?"

Max laughed. "Well, lets just say the past few years have been kind of wild and crazy. I never really had a permanent address as I was traveling so much, so, I didn't always get all of my mail that I was supposed to. I'm betting the invitation and I probably just missed each other several times."

"Oh yeah? Where all have you been?"

"After I saw you guys that New Year's, I did end up calling your friend Marcus, and he hooked me up with the phone number for a producer friend of his. I got an audition that I nailed which lead me to getting a role in a Broadway play. That in turn got me noticed by a talent scout which lead to me being offered a role on an international touring company. Until this time last year, I was seeing the world kind of like how you all were on the boat. And then, I got offered a chance to be a lead for a national dance troop..."

"Oh yeah? Where was that?"

"Auckland, New Zealand. Its a beautiful country but kind of cut off from the rest of the world. Fortunately, they do speak English there, so that made it a lot easier. But, to be honest, I think I've seen enough sheep to last me a lifetime..."

Maya laughed. "I bet." She nodded down at Max's knee brace and crutches. "I'm taking it you had a mishap though somewhere along the way..."

Max nodded. "You could definitely say that. As part of our finale, I was supposed to have been thrown up into the air and then caught. Unfortunately, the guy who was supposed to catch me suddenly had a sneezing fit, and well..." She sighed. "Lets just say I ended up landing in the orchestra before everything was all said and done."

Maya cringed. "I can only imagine how that happened. So, what was the damage?"

"Torn ACL, MCL and PCL...basically, if its a CL, I tore it." She laughed. "I guess when I tear up my knee, I go all out. I had surgery a couple of months ago, and I've spent the past couple of months in a hospital in Auckland. Fortunately, the national dance company has been very gracious about paying for my medical bills and still paying me as if I was still active. I guess they were afraid I would sue them or something. They've even offered to pay for my rehab and offered to send me back here to the states to do that around my family and friends. My parents no longer live here in the area, but my grandmother offered to let me stay with her so I flew back in town yesterday. I went to my doctor here this morning who cleared me to begin rehab, and he told me this was the best rehab center in town." Max paused as suddenly something occurred to her. "Wait a minute! Are you the physical therapist I'm supposed to be meeting?"

"Sure looks that way. While I'm still in school, I do basically run the aquatic therapy area here. So you don't think I'm some hack, I'm due to graduate in another couple of years with my bachelors degree in athletic training and a doctorate in physical therapy."

"Hey, works for me. I'm just glad I'll have someone I halfway know helping out with this..."

For the first time, Gabby spoke up. "And from someone else going through rehab right now, she's actually really good at what she does. You're in good hands..."

Maya groaned. "Where are my manners? Max, this is Gabby Martinez. She's a friend of and in medical school with Cody and Bailey. Gabby, this is Max, she's an old friend of Zack and Cody's from here in Boston."

Max extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Gabby. If you are a friend of Cody's, you must be alright."

Gabby shook her hand. "Likewise I'm sure..." She laughed. "Plus, it looks like we both know what its like to totally destroy our knees."

Max laughed too. "Sure looks that way. How did you hurt yours?"

She paused. "You don't know?"

That caught Max off guard once again. "Should I?"

She paused again and smiled. "You don't know who I am, do you?"

Max shook her head. "I'm sorry I don't. Again, should I?"

Maya laughed. "Well, Gabby was only America's sweetheart after winning a gold medal at the London Olympics. She was on TV a lot after it and everything."

"Oh..." Max cringed. "Sorry, my bad. I haven't had the chance to watch much TV the past several years. In fact, my grandmother mentioned to me me this is my chance to take a deep breath and catch up on everything I've missed out on while I've been gone. She says its time for to finally stop and smell the roses. But congrats on the gold. That's a huge accomplishment."

Gabby smiled. "Thanks but don't worry about it. I know what you mean about finally having time to stop and enjoy life..."

"But aren't you in medical school now? I would figure you wouldn't have much time for anything else but it..."

"Well, true, but to be fair, I spend less time now studying then I used to do in training. So, I do have more free time on my hands as of late. Anyways, it was actually kind of nice to meet someone who had no preconceived notions about me already. Don't got me wrong, everyone around here has been great, but its refreshing to just be regular old Gabby when I meet someone for the first time..." She paused and laughed. "Well, except for my professors. I won't lie – if they want to go easy on me for my upcoming test on Friday, I wouldn't mind."

"I bet medical school tests would be beasts. Good luck to you on that too."

"Thanks. Speaking of which, I should probably be going so I can get back to studying. It was nice to meet you though, Max. I'll probably see you around here from time to time."

"I would say that's probably a pretty good bet."

Gabby turned to Maya. "And I'll see you later too. I should be here on Friday, but if I don't, it'll be because I'm freaking about about only having a week left to study. Either way, I'll see you on Saturday night."

Maya's eyes went wide as something suddenly occurred to her. "Saturday night! I can't believe I forgot..." She paused as an idea came to her. "Well, Max, how would you feel about not heading over to the Tipton once you leave here and instead be a surprise birthday present next Saturday?"

Max just looked at her funny. "Huh?"

She smiled. "Next Saturday, London is having a birthday dinner for the three of myself, Zack and Cody since all of our birthdays are within a few days of each other. Naturally, we'd love for you to join us, but I was thinking we could keep your appearance as a surprise for the birthday boys."

"Sounds good to me..." Max nodded down at her knee. "Just don't expect me to jump out of a birthday cake or anything..."

Maya laughed. "I wouldn't think of it. That would only cause more work for me later on."

"Works for me then. Just give me the final details at some point..." She paused. "Though, do you think you could invite a couple of more guests though. There is another one of our old crew I'd love to see too..."

Maya smiled and cut her off. "Already done. Tapeworm and his girlfriend Gertie are already coming up as surprise guests for the twins too. Not only will you be a surprise for Zack and Cody, you'll also be a surprise for the other surprise guests."

"I'll be there then..." She paused. "I just need to figure out a way to get there now." She nodded down to her knee. "I can't really drive with a busted up right knee. Well, I think I can, but my doctor told me I couldn't, and my grandmother is hiding her car keys from me. And as I learned today, crutches and the subway are a complete pain in the butt."

Gabby spoke up. "Well, if you want, I can pick you up on my way?"

Max smiled. "Hey, that works for me. I can give you my cell phone number, and we'll figure something out. Well, I'm glad I stopped by here today then. I got a lot more done than I thought I would..."

Maya shook her head and laughed. "Well, don't leave just yet. We still have to talk about scheduling appointments for your rehab. I kind of assume that's why you came here in the first place..."

She laughed. "Oh yeah...that might be a good idea..."

_The Restaurant at the Tipton Hotel, the following Saturday evening_

After another week, everyone was ready to blow off some steam for one reason or another. Arriving a little early and realize they were the only ones there yet, Cody and Bailey decided to head into the bar area and have a glass of wine while they waited. Ordinarily they wouldn't even consider drinking during one of their intense study periods, but after after almost non-stop studying for the past couple of weeks, they figured they needed one for the sake of their mental well beings. Of course, being them, neither one of them had any intention of overindulging that evening. But, to be on the safe side, they had rode the subway over just in case they had more than they foresaw. After about twenty minutes, they found themselves no longer alone as Zack and Maya walked into the bar area. And after placing orders themselves with the bartender, they joined Cody and Bailey at their table.

"Well, Happy Birthday, Broseph." Zack sighed. "I would have returned your voice mail on Wednesday, but I spent the entire evening of our birthday working on a group project for school."

Cody smiled. "Don't worry about it. Once we got out of class that day, we headed home to continue studying ourselves. We probably would have all night if Bailey hadn't finally made me call it a night about eight o'clock. And then she insisted she fix me a special birthday dinner."

"And you're still alive after eating that?"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Yes, he did. In case you haven't noticed, Cody has been teaching me for the past four years. He doesn't even feel the need to supervise me anymore on Thanksgiving."

"Whatever you say, Sisterella. It just sucks that we both had to spend our actual birthdays doing school work."

Cody laughed. "Yeah, well, welcome to adulthood, Zack. It can be great at time, but at others, it can suck really bad..."

Zack lifted his glass. "I'll drink to that!"

"Just don't expect us to help carry you up to your suite again if you keep doing that. Once our freshmen years of college was enough to last me a lifetime!"

The four of them turned to see Gertie and Tapeworm standing there grinning at them. Cody blinked and shook his head. "What are you guys doing here?"

Tapeworm smirked. "Well, we weren't going to come, but we had our arms twisted by the offer of a free hotel room, free meal and open bar. That was too much for us to turn down..."

And with that, everyone got up and hugs were doled around. "So, how is Harvard treating you guys so far?"

Zack sighed. "Its being a complete pain in my butt. The work isn't that bad, but there's just way too much of it for my liking. There working me way too hard, Man."

Tapeworm grinned. "About time somebody did!"

Gertie turned to Cody and Bailey. "And medical school?"

Bailey smiled. "Our first final is this Friday. I'll be able to tell you better after that..."

"Oh please. I bet you two have already been studying for it for the past week..."

"The past two actually. We feel very familiar with the material right now, but we have no idea what to expect in how they will test it."

Cody smiled. "Of course, the Monday after that, we begin our first fun class – the Human Body!"

Everyone else shuddered. "I can't believe you two are looking forward to slicing and dicing human cadavers. Remind me to avoid you while you guys are taking it..."

"Sorry, Bro, you can't. Our final in it is scheduled for the Monday after Thanksgiving. So, unless you're going to be on your own for Turkey Day, you'll be seeing me then."

Zack sighed. "Great...the turkey this year is going to taste like formaldehyde..."

Bailey shook her head. "Actually, it won't. Most medical schools don't use formaldehyde much any more, especially after the studies came out that it had carcinogens in it. They use a glycerine based substance now."

He shrugged. "Okay, whatever...they turkey will taste like glycerine this year then...whatever that is."

And from behind them again, they heard another voice. "Oh quit you're complaining, Zack! I've seen you eat far worse than that when we were younger!"

Everyone turned around again to see who had interrupted them now, but this time, they were really floored by who they saw. And seeing the shocked expressions on Zack, Cody and Tapeworm's faces, Max couldn't help but to laugh.

"You boys look like you've seen a ghost..."

"Max?!"

She kept laughing. "In the flesh! Good to see you two are still treating each other so well. I guess somethings will never change...no matter how much I hear you've grown up."

Immediately, Tapeworm, Zack and Cody got up to hug their old friend. "Max, what are you doing here?"

"And why are you on crutches?"

Max smiled and filled everyone in where she had been and what had happened to her since they had last seen her in New York City. "So, I guess it was just fate that I sent over to BU and ended up walking into Maya's pool area last week. I would have stopped by to see you guys sooner, but it was her idea for me to surprise you guys tonight. And since Gabby was there, she volunteered to drive me over since my doctor won't let me drive right now."

Tapeworm smiled. "Well, its good to have you back, Max. I mean, how long has it been since the four of us were all in one place together at the same time? I'd say close to nine years..."

"That sounds about right, and for the record, its definitely good to be back. Of course, from what Maya's told me and from I can see with my own two eyes, it looks like you guys have all been doing just fine without me. She laughed. "I mean, you and Cody have found girls that will actually seem to enjoy putting up with you while Zack has limited himself to just one. Whoever would have seen that coming?"

He laughed. "Speaking of which, I want you to finally meet my Gertie." Once she stepped forward, he continued. "Gertie, this is the Max I've told you so much about. Max, this is the future Mrs. Dennis Wiznewsky..."

Max frowned. "Who?"

He sighed. "That's my real name. I swear, I don't think anyone knew what it really was..."

"May bad, Tapeworm. You were always just...Tapeworm."

Cody shook his head and laughed. "Don't feel bad, Max. When I saw his real name listed as my roommate at Yale, I had no idea who it was either. Imagine my shock when I got to my dorm room and found him there."

Max smiled. "Well, Gertie, its nice to finally meet you..." She leaned in and whispered to her. "No offense though, but I hope you know you can do a lot better than my boy here."

Gertie laughed. "He tells me the same thing, but I think I'll keep him."

"Good. I might tease him a lot, but he's one of the best guys I've ever known. All of them are." She turned to Cody and poked him in the chest. "Now, you...I hear you went and got married on me!"

He smiled. "We tried to send you an invitation, but I guess you never got it. We just though you had up and disappeared on us again..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Max turned to Bailey. "So, you willingly married my boy here. Tell me...what kind of a husband has he been so far?"

Bailey smiled. "I may be biased, but I think he's the absolute best."

"So, he's not being a complete pain in the butt then?"

She laughed. "Well, yeah, but not anymore than before we we're married..."

"That sounds more like it. Its just feels weird to me that there is now another Mrs. Martin. Guess I'll just have to get used to it though."

"Well, we're not sure how long the first one will be a Mrs. Martin. Cody's Mom and Arwin have been dating pretty hot and heavy since our wedding."

Max gave her a look. "Carey and Arwin are dating now?" She shook her head. "I've really missed a lot around here."

"Well, with the time you need to recuperate, you'll have ample opportunity to catch up on everything."

"I guess so. Well, I have learned one thing this past year..."

"What's that?"

"Cody is no longer the worse dance partner I've ever had. At least he never caused me to end up in an orchestra pit..."

Bailey laughed. "I promise you. He's gotten a whole lot better over the years."

"I'm glad. Just keep taking care of him for me. He looks happy."

"I will. And he makes me happy too. I fully plan on keeping him." She laughed. "Besides, it would be a pain in the butt to return all of the wedding gifts now..."

Max laughed too. "I can tell you and I are going to get along just fine."

_A Couple of Hours Later_

Finally, of the course of the next half hour, every other guest finally arrived, and they all headed into the dining room for a specially planned dinner. And once again, Chef Paulo outdid himself with his latest creations. After dinner was over, everyone headed into the lounge area to either sit back, relax and digest or head out onto the dance to try to burn off the calories they had just consumed. As for the birthday boys, they began mingling around thanking everyone for coming and celebrating with them when they saw Gertie and Tapeworm getting up from sitting next to Max. Quickly, Zack and Cody took their spots next to their old friend.

"So, Max, why don't you get out on the dance floor and show everyone how its supposed to be done?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I don't think me hopping around on one foot would prove anything to anyone tonight..." She paused and gave Cody a look. "Now, you, young man, I saw you out there dancing with your wife a little while ago. She's definitely right - you've gotten a whole lot better. I know you told me something to that effect back in New York, but I don't think I really believed it until I saw it with my own two eyes."

Cody laughed too. "Well, I did end up taking some lessons while I was on the boat."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, about eighty-seven of them and all just to impress Bailey."

Max smiled. "Well, it looks like it worked for him, now doesn't it?"

Cody grinned. "Thankfully. That was the longest day of my life..."

She looked at him funny. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind. You'd never believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

So, Cody did. And once he was finished with his story, Max's eyes went wide and her mouth hung open in shock. She turned to Zack. "Is he serious?"

"Unfortunately, he is. I had to be there to witness it first hand. There were things he knew that would be impossible to know if he hadn't lived the same day over and over and over."

She turned back to Cody. "Wow...You did all of that just to impress her. You must really love her."

He smiled. "With all of my heart and all of my soul."

"Good for you. I've gotten a chance to really get to know Maya, Bailey and Gertie tonight. I wanted to make sure my boys were in good hands."

Zack gave her a look. "Yeah? What's the verdict?"

Max laughed and teased them. "All three of them are way too good for you guys! At least Cody was smart enough to figure out to convince Bailey to marry him before she got wise to him. Zack, if I were you, I'd follow suit with Maya ASAP..."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Max...I can just feel the love. But for your information, Maya and I have discussed that very topic ourselves, and we've both decided we want to wait until we are both done with school before we take that large of a step."

"Cody and Bailey didn't."

"True, but they are both in medical school together. Due to that, they are both going to be doing the same thing and going through the same things as each other. Maya and I are in different fields, and as of this semester, at different universities. Not really the same situation."

She nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

Zack grinned. "But don't worry. When the time is right, I already have the ring ready to go."

"Good. And I'll make sure I make it to your wedding. I still feel awful about missing Cody's..."

Cody patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it. It was just in Hawaii and in paradise. Its not like you missed all that much..."

She smirked at him. "Gee...thanks."

"Well, now that you've found out all about our personal lives, how about yours? Anyone special in your life?"

Max shook her head. "Not yet, but to be fair, I didn't really have time before to have much of a personal life." She paused. "Who knows? Maybe I do now?"

_Meanwhile, Across the Room_

Bailey was talking with Maya and Amy when she noticed Gabby and C.J. were having an intense conversation. And by the look on Gabby's face, she could tell she was starting to getting exasperated. So, not sure what was going on, Bailey drug the other two ladies over there with her to get to the bottom of it.

"Everything okay over here?"

Gabby shook her head and sighed. "I was just about to smack some sense into our boy here. He's being an incredible idiot!"

Bailey couldn't help herself and laughed. "Of course he is. He's a guy. All of them are idiots to some degree. I think its part of the Y chromosome..."

Upon hearing that, all Maya and Amy could do was nod. "I would agree with that that."

"Me too."

But at seeing C.J.'s shoulders slump at hearing that, Bailey smiled at him. "Don't worry though, it works both ways. Guys think that two X chromosomes make all women crazy to one degree or another. So, it all works out in the end."

Upon hearing that, He grinned at hearing that nudged Gabby. "See, maybe I am right after all!"

Maya spoke up. "Right about what exactly?"

Gabby just sighed again. "Tell them the story you just told me, C.J."

He nodded. "Alright, get this. This afternoon, I was over in the medical library studying as I thought there wouldn't be as many distractions there as opposed to at home. Well, I was sitting there minding my own business when this girl I've never seen before walks straight up to me. At first, she said she was just lost in search of the vending machines and asked if I could help her out. Figuring I could use a caffeine boost myself, I volunteered to show her were they were. Well, as we walked towards them, completely unsolicited, she proceeds to tell me she is a freshman at Northeastern and had been told the medical library was the best place to study. And from there, she continues to give me pretty much her entire life story."

Amy laughed. "So? What's wrong with that?"

"I haven't got to the weird part yet. Once I showed her the lounge, she stops, looks at me for a few minutes and then just asks me out on a date."

Bailey teased him. "C.J.! You stud you!"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on! You can't tell me that wasn't a little weird!"

Maya laughed. "Well, maybe it was...back in the 50's! But this is 2015, Dude. Girls are allowed to ask guys without it being strange nowadays."

He sighed again. "I don't know...maybe. Its just something like that has never ever happened to me before. And then, bam, when I'm least expecting it, it did. It caught me completely off guard..."

"So, what did you tell her?"

C.J. shrugged. "I told her than I had a big exam this Friday and all of my attention would be focused on it until then." He paused. "And then grabbed my hand, wrote her cell phone on it and told me to call her once it was over."

"You're going to call her, right?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Something in my gut was telling me that all was not kosher. I got this weird feeling about it all..."

Bailey and Maya looked at each other. "Guys and their gut feelings..."

Amy smiled. "Oh, give it a chance, Man. Besides, one date is not going to kill you. Who knows? Maybe you two will hit it off?"

C.J. paused to consider that. "You really think so?"

"Sure. I mean...what do you have to lose?"

_Back Across the Room_

While Zack continued talking to Max, Cody volunteered to go up to the bar to get them refills of their drinks at the bar. Checking his watch, he saw it was still before 9:30, so he thought he should be safe having a glass of soda right then. Zack had ordered another adult beverage, but Cody didn't want anything more alcoholic as Bailey had mentioned to him that she had another birthday gift waiting for him when they got home. He wasn't sure what she had in mind exactly, but he was pretty sure he was going to like it. Finally, the bartender came over, and he placed his order. As almost as soon as he had, he noticed a friendly face walk up next to him.

"Mr. Moseby. Long time, no see. Which is kind of weird because we both live in the same town again."

Moseby smiled. "I guess it has, Cody, but I imagine life is keeping you pretty busy nowadays. Anyways, congratulations on turning 22."

"Thank you."

"The first birthday on the downhill slide of life..."

Cody frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Before this one, your birthdays actually meant something. At sixteen, you could drive. At eighteen, you could vote. At twenty, you were no longer a teenager. At twenty-one, you could buy alcohol. Staring with twenty-two, nothing. There are no more big birthdays to look forward to. Actually, its quite the contrary. As the years go on, you begin dreading your birthdays and feel less and less like celebrating them..."

"I guess I hadn't thought of it like that before..."

Moseby smiled. "Trust me, you get used to it. Especially when you're my age, it makes you feel older and older. Speaking of feeling older though, I felt really old when I realized its now been ten years since you two hooligans came into my life. You were both twelve when you moved into the hotel, and I was..." He paused. "Nevermind."

"I guess so..." He smiled. "Back then, you and I were two people who got bullied by our older brothers. Now, the only people who tell us what to do are our wives!"

Moseby lifted his glass. "I'll drink to that. Speaking of which, how is married life so far?"

"Its going great. I absolutely love it, but to be honest, its not like must has changed all that much. So far, the only real difference is that Bailey's name now comes before mine on class rolls..."

"Glad to hear that. Speaking of school, how is that going?"

"Our first final is this Friday. We'll know better after that what to expect. But, I think we'll be ready for it."

Moseby smiled again. "Well, if the past is any indication, I have no doubts that you two will. Now, I also understand you and I also have something else in common these days. It seems we both share our homes with four legged furballs who don't care for us all that much."

Cody laughed. "True, but I think Al and I have turned a corner in our relationship. I found a way to communicate with him, and I believe we have solved all of our issues."

Moseby just gave him a look. "Care to share your secret in doing that? I'd love to hear this..."

Cody looked around before leaning in close. "Well, you promise not to tell anyone?"

"My lips are sealed."

He grinned. "Corsican fruit..."

"Corsican fruit?" Moseby paused before his eyes went wide. "Wait a minute! Are you talking about that stuff that caused you and Zack to be able to read each other's mind?"

"The one and the same. It also allows one to communicate with animals. I've slipped some into Al's food everyday as well as eating some myself."

"But I thought the government confiscated all that stuff!"

"They did..." He grinned. "Well, most of it anyways. Back then, I had snuck some out of the Gemini Project thinking that it would make a good college experiment for my future as a biology major. And to make it last longer and keeping it from spoiling, I converted what I had into some Corsican fruit preserves in the ship's kitchen. Of course, I mailed it back here to keep Zack from getting his hands on it. Well, the ironic part is that with the fiasco of me not initially getting into Yale, I completely forgot all about it. By the time I finally getting accepted thanks to Mr. Tipton's 'help', it was the last thing on my mind. In fact, I probably would have continued to forgot all about it except Mom reminded me I had some stuff down in storage here at the hotel that I needed to take over to our new place. Well, when I went through those old boxes, guess what I found..."

"Wow...I guess that's a pretty smart idea though. Unfortunately for me, I know for a fact that Emma would never let me do it. I'm kind of surprised Bailey is letting you."

Cody paused and took a sip of his soda. "Well..."

Moseby gave him a look. "She doesn't know, does she?"

He began hemming and hawing. "Not exactly. We kind of made a bet on whether or not I could tame the wild beast. I like to think of it as I'm doing the same thing Bailey did when she told London about the smarticle perfume then lipstick when she tried to help her improve her grades..."

"I guess I can understand that, but will Bailey think of it the same way?"

Cody shrugged. "I don't see why not..." He looked over and saw Bailey motioning him over to where she was talking with her sister. "If you'll excuse me, Moseby, my wife is beckoning me over. See you later..." And with that, he was headed across the room.

Moseby just stood there shaking his head. "Something tells me this will not end well..."

_To be Continued..._


	11. Angel is a Centerfold

_Chapter 11_

_"Angel is a Centerfold"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Townhouse, Halloween Night_

Finally, it was the end of October, and that year, Halloween fell on a Saturday. So while Bailey was finishing up her shower before they headed out for the evening, Cody was in their kitchen cleaning up from when they had their dinner earlier. And even though they were supposed to be leaving the house in a just a half hour to head over to the Tipton to meet up with Zack and Maya before heading for the evening, Cody was still a little concerned that Bailey hadn't yet told him what their costumes for the evening were going to be. All day, he was fully expecting her to spring her surprise on him, but as of then, nothing. The fact that it was now getting down to the last minute worried him even more as he knew there wouldn't be any time to plead with her to reconsider them. Of course, he had to laugh to himself as he knew any complaints about her choices would fall on deaf ears. And it was as he was standing there in the kitchen pondering the situation that Albert jumped up on the counter next to him.

_"Excellent meal tonight, Man. The grilled chicken was delicious. I don't know what you did different this time, but it had an extra kick to it that I loved..."_

Cody smiled. "Well, I tried a new recipe Chef Paulo e-mailed me, and I'm glad you enjoyed. Now, are you ready for your role when Bailey comes downstairs in a few minutes?"

_"Yeah, I know what I'm supposed to do..."_ Al paused. _"Now, have you lived up to your part of the bargain?"_

"Already done. Those treats you seem to like have already been laid out on the bed downstairs. I do ask that you hold off on eating them until after we've left for the evening." Cody paused this time. "But, Al...go easy on those things."

_"Why? Those things are the best thing I've ever eaten in my whole life! I can't get enough of them!"_

"If you say so, but I remember us coming home last week finding you sprawled out on your back with your paws sprawled out in every which direction. Bailey was so concerned that something was wrong with you that she wanted to take you to the 24 hour vet clinic!"

Al laughed. _"Yeah, I guess I do have to admit that those suckers do pack quite the punch..."_

"Exactly! Like I said, try to go easy on them because I don't want you to get addicted to them. I'd hate to have to take you to Catnipaholics Anonymous..."

_"Yeah, yeah...I promise you that I don't have a problem with them. And I guess I should say thank you for getting them for me. You did keep your word about making sure I had food that I actually liked."_

"You're welcome. But tt hasn't been so bad though, has it? I mean, I'd like to think you and I actually are getting along pretty well nowadays."

_"I guess so. I mean, I admit you aren't the pure evil I once thought you were."_

Cody laughed at that. "Thanks...I think."

_"I guess it wouldn't kill me to admit that you're alright, Kid..."_

Cody gave him a look. "Kid? I'm twenty-two years old, and you're still not quite one yet..."

Al rolled his eyes. _ "Like it matters. Plus, you're not counting in how cat years are different than human years. I mean..."_

But before he could finish, Bailey came downstairs and walked into the kitchen as she finished drying her hair with her towel.

"Cody, are you talking to someone down here?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "I sure am. I was talking to my buddy, Al here..." At that moment, Cody began rubbing his belly as Al began to purr. "I was telling him no wild parties tonight while we were out."

"Oh..." She smiled and laughed. "Probably a good idea. Last think we need is to come home to him all sprawled out again. I think he had enough of a wild night that night just by himself..." She paused. "Do you think he gets lonely here all by himself when we're not here?"

Cody shrugged. "To be honest, Bails, I hadn't even thought of it like that before..."

"Maybe we should think about bringing in another cat to give him someone to play with?"

"We'll think about it. But right now, I'm more concerned about us going out tonight..."

Bailey smiled. "Me too. Speaking of tonight though, we really do have a reason to celebrate."

"You bet we do!"

"I mean, we found out we both passed our first finals yesterday. I don't know if we did with honors yet, but I'm almost willing to bet we did. We studied are butts off, and I think we we're extremely well prepared for it. Plus, those suggestions we found on line about how to deal with the smell of the cadavers in our gross anatomy labs seem to be working like a charm. I never would have guessed that nitrile gloves worked better than latex ones. Plus, that one hint we got about doubling up on them with a thin layer of scented soap in the middle is pure genius. Not only does it create an adhesive between the two gloves making it feel like you're only wearing one glove, our hands actually still smell like vanilla when we're done..."

Cody grinned. "Well, we may have those reasons to celebrate, but I was thinking of something else we have to joyous of even more..." He reached down to continue scratching Al's stomach as he once again purred. "I mean, it is Halloween after all, and you know what that means..."

Bailey looked down at Albert before shaking her head and sighing. "Yeah, I know exactly what it means, Sweetie. I still don't know how you managed to pull it off, but you and Albie do appear to legitimately be friends now. I admit I was wrong about that."

"Wow, you admitting you were wrong about something. Your Dad isn't going to believe that. He told me that I should never expect to hear those words ever again..."

She smiled. "Yeah, yeah. But, this is definitely something I'm glad to be wrong about. This means we don't have to worry about any more surprise attacks. Our home will no longer be a potential war zone any more."

"True..." He winked at her. "But that's not all that it means..."

"I know..." She exhaled. "You won our bet. Go ahead and order it..."

Cody grinned. "I already did! It should arrive sometime this week. Now, I was hoping it would have been deilvered by today, but I'm not going to complain too much. It will be worth the wait when it gets here..."

She gave him a look. "Well, until then, remember that I dictate what we wear for tonight." She smirked at him. "I think you're really going to like my idea this year, Honey. In fact, you should feel right at home in your costume..."

He frowned. "Right at home? What does that mean?"

"I guess its time for the grand reveal..." Bailey walked over to a closet and grabbed two hangers. And on both of them were bright orange jumpsuits. Once Cody saw them, he frowned again.

"We're going as garbage men?"

She laughed. "Not quite..." She turned them around to show him that there were names on the back. And when he saw what the names were, it finally dawned on him what her idea was.

"Oh..." He laughed. "I think I understand what our costumes are now..." But then something else dawned on him too. "Wait a minute! Which one am I?"

Bailey laughed again as she held up a wig of long red hair. "What does that tell you? Plus, I have some make up I need to apply to you as well to complete the look."

Cody groaned. "Can I hold off on wearing the wig and you applying whatever until we get over to the Tipton? If at all possible, I'd prefer to limit the dirty looks I get on the subway tonight to a minimum. And by the time we come home, hopefully, most people on it will be too drunk to care what I'm wearing..."

She tapped her chin. "Hmmm...Let me think."

"Please, Sweetie? You know I'd do it for you if the situation was reversed..."

"Well, I guess so. But lets hurry up and get changed into our jumpsuits. I told Maya we'd be over at their place by 9:00."

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

A little before 9:00 PM, Maya was already dressed in her costume for the evening and was sitting on the couch trying to watch some TV while she waited. But unfortunately for her, she just couldn't seem to focus on it. Instead, she kept glancing back at their bedroom door waiting for Zack to come out in the costume she had chosen for him. She was well aware that there was going to be serious repercussions for her the following year when he would get a chance for revenge, but when she saw the two costumes in a store, she couldn't help but to buy them. So, after a few more minutes, she turned around again and shouted out to him.

"You about ready, Babe? Cody and Bailey should be here any minute now"

From inside of their bedroom, Zack shouted back. "No, I'm not! Please, don't make me do this, Maya!"

She laughed. "Oh, quit being such a big baby about it! I think you'll look great."

"I don't think so! Can't we please switch costumes?"

Maya grinned to herself. "Hey, I offered you the choice of wearing mine, but you said you'd never be caught dead wearing mine. And now you want to switch? Whatever has caused you to change your mind, Zack?"

He shouted back. "You know very well what has caused me to change my mind! If you love me, you won't make me do this!"

She laughed. "Babe, I do love you, but I'm still going to make you wear it. Its too late to get you another costume..."

About that time, there was a knock at the front door to their suite. Getting up to answer it, Maya found Cody and Bailey standing there in their coats and what looked like orange jumpsuits underneath of them. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what their costumes were supposed to be, so Maya decided to just ask them.

"Good to see you guys again, but who are you two supposed to be tonight?"

Bailey smiled as she took off her coat while Cody shook his head as he removed his. Once they did, both turned around to show Maya the names on the back of their costumes. The back of Bailey's said 'A. Bynes' while the back of Cody's said 'L. Lohan'. And upon seeing that, Maya began laughing.

"I love it! But isn't Cody missing something? His short blond hair just doesn't seem to fit the costume."

Bailey laughed too. "I have his wig in my purse plus I need to add some 'running' mascara to his face to finish off the look. He basically begged me not to have to ride the subway wearing both."

"I guess I can understand that, but I'm pretty sure I've heard more begging here tonight. I have to admit - they are great ideas that I can't believe I didn't think of..."

"Well, I was watching this show that was talking about their ongoing feud with each other. The host even made a joke that Nickelodeon vs. Disney was now the new East Coast-West Coast rap feud. I figured they would make great costumes for us. Let me add his wig and make-up, and then I'll add for the final touch to our costumes..."

That caught Cody's attention. "Wait a minute, what? There's more?"

"Uh huh..." Bailey sat him down at the kitchen table and proceeded to pin the wig to Cody's hair. Once it was secure, she added some rouge to make him look blotchy and then some running mascara from his eyes.

"Awww, Sweetie...you look perfect now!"

Maya nodded and grinned. "You do. The resemblance is really uncanny..."

Cody gave her a dirty look. "Gee...thanks."

"And now for the piece de resistance..."

Bailey reached into her purse, pulled out a pair of handcuffs and slapped them on hers and Cody's wrists before he knew what was happening. "There! Finished!"

Cody's eyes went wide. "Handcuffs? Please tell me you have the keys for these?"

"Of course I do." She grabbed her purse and began searching again. After a few minutes, she looked up and let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry, Sweetie. I must have left them at home. I was testing out the key to make sure they work and I..." She paused and sighed. "...left them on the bedside table."

He looked down at their wrists and sighed. "This should make tonight very interesting..." He turned to Maya. "Well, for better or worse, we're dressed for the evening. Who are you supposed to be anyways?"

She grinned. "I'm the Yankee Clipper! I'm Joltin' Joe Dimaggio!"

"I see..." Cody paused when something occurred to him. "Wait a minute! Are you and Zack going out dressed like a couple?"

Maya kept grinning. "Uh huh..."

He grinned. "Does that mean he's going out dressed as..."

She laughed. "Uh huh!"

Cody began laughing. "Oh, Man...Zack, please come out and show us all your costume. Or would you prefer us to call you...Marilyn tonight?"

At that, Zack walked out wearing a white sleeveless dress, heels, a blonde wig, make up and the biggest scowl on his face that anyone had ever seen.

_Outside Bailey and Cody's Townhouse_

About the same time that everyone in the suite was laughing at seeing Zack dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, across town, there was someone else who was having anything but a good time. For a good part of the afternoon, Amy had been over at the Harvard medical school library finishing up a paper for her sociology class that was due on Monday when she suddenly began having problems with her laptop. At first, she thought it was just running slow, but when the screen went blank, she began to really freak out. Quickly remembering the her brother-in-law was pretty good in dealing with computers, she had quickly loaded up everything she had and ran out. By the time she got to Cody and Bailey's townhouse, she was in a full out panic mode and was hoping he could fix whatever was wrong with it. But after several minutes of not getting an answer when she pounded on the door and rang the bell, she let out a frustrating scream.

"Come on! Where are you guys! How come the the two biggest homebodies I know aren't home the one night I really need them to be?!"

After pounding on the door a few more times, she hung her head and felt like she was going to cry. But before any tears could actually fall, she heard a voice come from behind her. "Is everything alright?"

Turning around, she saw C.J. giving her a concerned look. And in her state of mind, she didn't even notice that he was holding a leash connected to Rufus. Sitting down on the steps, Amy sighed. "No, its not! I was working on my sociology paper when my computer began acting up. And before I knew it, the screen went blank, I couldn't get it to come back. The worse part is that I never had a chance to save what I had gotten done!" She rubbed her eyes. "I was hoping Cody might be able to fix it for me, but neither he or Bailey are answering their door!"

C.J. nodded. "Yeah, they've left for the evening. We saw them heading out towards the subway station when we left the house to begin our walk."

Amy gave him a funny look. "We?"

"Yeah, me and Rufus..." And upon hearing his name, Rufus let out a loud bark.

Of course, that's when Amy saw the dog, she instinctively jumped back as her eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh! He's huge! How did I not notice him before? I think there were cows on the farm smaller than him!"

He laughed. "A cow, huh? Cody actually compared him to a pony. Anyways, as for your computer issues, if you want, I can take a look at it and see if I can find out what's wrong..."

She gave him a hopeful look. "You know about computers?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I've messed around with them a fair bit in my day. Remember, I am a geek after all. Anyways, come on down to my place, and I'll see what I can do."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you so much! I owe you a big one!"

So, they walked to the other side of the complex before C.J. opened the door to let them in. And once inside, he lead her up to his home office that was, like Cody and Bailey's, on the second floor with his bedroom.

"Welcome to my nerdery. Now, lets see that laptop and see what's going on with it."

Amy got it out of her bag and handed it over to him. But he could still see she was on edge and still close to freaking out. "Tell you what though. While I get to work on this ASAP, why don't you head downstairs and get yourself something to drink and catch your breath. Help yourself to anything in the fridge."

"You sure?"

C.J. smiled again. "Positive. Besides, it looks like you could use something to ease your nerves. But if I may make a suggestion, I'd stay away from anything with caffeine."

She had to laugh at that. "Probably a good idea. Thanks, C.J."

"Not a problem. And while you're at it, sit down and try to relax. I promise I'll do everything I can here."

"You have no idea how much I really appreciate this."

Thirty minutes later, C.J. returned downstairs from his home office, and the sight he saw made him stop dead in his tracks and laugh. Amy was sitting on the couch while Rufus had his head in her lap. He was sprawled on the couch with his tail wagging rapidly while she scratched his belly. C.J. couldn't help but to just shake his head.

"So much for my fearsome guard dog. Scratch his belly and he'd let a burglar take anything they wanted..."

Amy looked up at him and laughed. "Yeah, something tells me he's just a big ol' teddy bear deep down."

"Sure looks that way...which is really kind of strange. Rufus usually doesn't take to new people so quickly. I mean, it took almost a year before my little sister wasn't scared to death of him..."

"Well, I guess appearances can be deceiving..." She reached for a picture on the end table. "I mean, look at this. You and him are both smiling and wearing sunglasses..."

C.J. laughed. "Yeah, that was taken right before we began our drive across the country this past summer. My little sister thought it would be funny to pose him with her sunglasses on him, but once the picture was taken, Rufus wasn't about to give them back. She told me to do something, but I told her to get them back from him herself if she wanted them that bad. Well, she didn't, and for the rest of the drive, he sat in the passenger seat next to me and wore them during the day."

Amy laughed again. "That's so cool. I can't imagine any of the animals on the farm doing anything like that. How old is he anyways?"

He paused. "Well, we think he's about three years old now."

"You think?"

"Yeah, about two years ago, some older guys were teasing me and trying to act all tough and bully me. Well, Rufus came to my rescue out of nowhere and chased them all away. Once they were gone, he just walked over to me and began licking my hands. Well, after he saved me, I wasn't about to throw him back out on the streets. My parents and I think he had been abandoned as he had no tags on and was a stray. To be on the safe side, I put up fliers all around our neighborhood, but after a few months, no one ever called about him. I'm really glad they didn't because Rufus and I have been best buddies ever since."

She smiled. "Good for the two of you then. That's really a sweet story." She paused. "But since you're down here now, how's my computer looking?"

C.J. winced. "Well, about your computer, I have some good news and some bad news..."

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

Zack just stood there and rolled his eyes as everyone kept laughing at how he was dressed. He was hoping they would go ahead, get it out of their systems and be done with it, but that was not to be. Ten minutes later, everyone was still laughing and making comments when he decided to bring an end to it.

"Yeah, yeah. You got me. I'm in a wig and a dress..." He smirked at his brother. "But I'm not the only guy here dressed like a woman tonight!"

Cody just grinned. "Yeah, I know, but at least I have pants on. By the way, nice legs, Bro. And if I may say, kudos to you for going the extra mile and shaving them..."

Zack rolled his eyes and sighed. "I didn't shave them. Like you, all of my leg hair is sparse, and what I do have is blonde. And for the record, you saying I have nice legs is almost as creepy as when Woody said the same thing about you!"

That caught Cody off guard. "He did what? When?"

"Back on the boat. Right before we got the idea about the beauty pageant I think..." He paused. "Of course, at the time, you had your back to us and he didn't know it was you when he said it. I think he really thought you were a chick."

Cody shuddered. "Okay, I'm sufficiently weirded out right now. I'm glad I didn't know that at the time."

Zack smirked. "I bet. Now, we've all had fun with my costume. How about your costume now, Baby Bro. With the way you and the wife are dressed, its a good thing neither one of you is driving tonight. Dressed like Lohan and Bynes, the letters DUI would be in your futures..."

Bailey smirked back at him. "At least neither one of us has to avoid walking on air vents tonight and risking public indecency!"

He rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject. "Well, at least Cody looks better this time as a redhead than he did the first time..." And that's when Zack noticed his brother and sister-in-law were handcuffed together. This gave him the ammunition to finally turn the tables on them, and he grinned. "Couldn't you two have saved those handcuffs for later? Or Codester, is this your way of adding a new definition to the old saying 'the old ball and chain'?"

Bailey glared at him while Cody just shook his head. But Zack wasn't quite done yet. "And look how times have changed. You always said I'd be the one who ended up in a prison jumpsuit, and now, here you are the one who is actually wearing one."

Cody sighed again. "True, but I guess we're now both even in the number of times we've both worn a dress. This is your second time now, Zack..."

Zack groaned again at having the tables turned back on to him. "Yeah, yeah..."

About that time, there was another knock at the front door. And when Maya opened it up, there stood Maddie and Trevor with Zoey in his arms – dressed as the three bears. After they walked into the suite, they too began laughing when they saw how everyone was dressed for Halloween.

Maddie was almost crying, and she wiped her eyes. "I knew when Maya and Bailey told what they had in mind for your costumes that they would be priceless, but this is so much better than I ever could have imagined. Somehow, I just knew stopping by here to see them would be worth it..."

Maya grinned. "I'm glad you did. We have a little packet of goodies for Zoey."

Bailey reached for her purse. "So do we..."

Trevor sighed and looked at his daughter. "Your first Halloween, and you're already making out like a bandit. You going to share some of your stash with Daddy?"

Zoey just smiled at him and shook her head. Trevor sighed again. "You must get that from your mother..."

Maya laughed. "So, did she enjoy her first time Trick or Treating?"

"Oh yeah. Something tells me it will be rough tomorrow explaining to her that this only happens once a year."

Zack nudged Cody. "That's why we always made sure we had several costumes each year. We'd make the rounds, come back, change costumes and do it all over again. We always had enough candy each year to last until Christmas..."

Cody gave him a look. "I did. You would run out of yours after a week and then try to steal mine. I had to begin hiding and constantly moving my stuff around because you always seemed to find it..."

"Because you were the worst person when it came to trying to be secretive. I mean, look how easily I cracked your password while we were on the boat."

Maddie smiled. "Well, unfortunately, we can't stay long because we have to get Zoey home and put her to bed. She's already had a big night." Before they left though, she pulled out her smart phone and took a picture of everyone. "But I'll be holding on to this photo for a long time. Maybe when you all are rich and famous, I can use it to blackmail you all..."

Trevor laughed. "And no offense guys, but this is the only picture I want to see of you guys. I know you both are dressed as centerfolds, but I'll pass on seeing anything more revealing..." He paused and turned to his wife. "I do have a question though. Does tonight mean Zoey's godfathers are now her godmothers?"

As everyone else laughed, Zack sighed and turned to Maya. "Know this...I will get payback next year! Count on it! Now, lets go and get this over with..."

_C.J.'s Place_

Amy looked up at C.J., and upon seeing the look on his face, she sighed. If there was bad news, the rest of her weekend was almost definitely going to suck as she would have to pretty much start her paper from scratch.

"Let me hear the bad news first..."

He paused. "Seems your computer somehow picked up a virus that was attacking your hard drive. It had already wiped out a good chunk of it by the time I was able to gain access to it..."

She hung her head. "Wonderful. I don't see how there could possibly be good news then."

C.J. smiled as he held up a flash drive. "The good news is I was able to save all of your word documents before they were erased..."

Amy laid her head back on the couch and sighed in relief. "I know I keep saying this, but thank you so much! I won't have to spend all day tomorrow rewriting my paper now!"

"No, but it is going to take me a few hours to get your computer back to its normal working order. I've already installed an anti-virus that got rid of the one that attacked you, and it should protect you from now on as long as you keep updating it. But, I am going to have to reload several programs that were either erased or destroyed. Fortunately, I have a CD that will do that, but like I said, its going to take a while. If you want, I can run your computer back over to your dorm to you first thing in the morning."

She shook her head and smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but that's not necessary. Its not like I had any big plans tonight anyways..."

He gave her a funny look. "But its Halloween..."

"I know, but this paper is due on Monday. I figured the prudent and responsible thing would be to finish my paper first. Beth was invited to a frat party, but I had no desire to go to it. Besides, the only costume I have is one of a worn out college student."

C.J. laughed. "Something tells me that's a pretty popular one around these parts."

"You would think so. I..." Amy stopped in mid sentence when something occurred to her. "Oh my gosh! What was I thinking? I was ready to just sit here and wait, and I didn't give any thought to whether or not you had plans for tonight. I am so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. No real big plans here. I was just going to order some delivery food, and Rufus and I were going to veg out watch some of the classic horror movies on TV tonight."

"That sounds like more fun to me than a frat party any day. Which ones are you guys going to watch?"

"To start with, the original Halloween..." He paused. "And I know they are both kind of cheesy, but Young Frankenstein and Zombieland after that."

Amy laughed. "Yeah, they're cheesy, but I love those two movies!"

"Well, you're more than welcome to stay and hang out with us then."

"If you don't mind..." She paused again as something else occurred to her. "Wait a minute! Why isn't that girl you met at the library a few weeks ago coming over instead? I figured you'd be hanging out with her tonight or something like that..."

C.J. sighed and sat down on the couch. "That would be a negative. I did actually call her and did make a date with her. However, we only went out once, and the entire time, I kept getting this really weird vibe from her. She kept calling me afterwards to go out again, but I kept making excuses why I couldn't."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, there is more to the story. Turns out, I was right in thinking something was off. I began doing some research, and it seems she must have thought I was was pretty stupid. I checked our her Facebook page, and I saw her sending messages back and forth between someone else who I assumed was a friend of hers. According to what she said, the only reason she asked me out was because it was some sort of a sorority initiation thing for her to ask out a Harvard medical student. She was supposed to go out on three dates with me and then dump me in order to pass the test..."

Amy cringed. "I'm so sorry to hear that. That really, really sucks."

He shrugged. "It is what it is. Fortunately, I found out before it was too late."

"Is she still trying to call you now?"

C.J. paused as a small smile formed on his face. "Well, after what I did, I don't think I'll ever hear from her again."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I printed off copies of her conversation and mailed them to the Northeastern's Dean of Students as well as their Director of Greek Affairs. Technically, what the sorority was doing is considered hazing, and that kind of stuff is really being cracked down on pretty harshly. From what I hear, the school is now investigating her chapter and put them on social probation until the investigation is complete. I also hear the other sisters were so mad at her for getting them in trouble, they blackballed her. The finishing touch was hanging signs in the medical school warning students to avoid members of that sorority from Northeastern and why."

Amy couldn't help but to laugh. "Well done! You followed the old adage – don't get mad, get even. I've had some experience with that myself."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

She proceeded to tell him the story of what she had done to Moose and Squirrel back in Kettlecorn a few years back. And when she was done, he was looking at her with wide eyes. "Wow! Remind me to never get on your bad side!"

She laughed again. "After all the help you've given me tonight, I don't think you have to worry about that." She paused. "But I hope you won't let this one experience sour you on everyone in my gender. I promise you we're not all like that."

"Oh, I won't, but I definitely think I'm going to take myself out of circulation for a while. For years, I've always been ahead of people my own age or way younger than people on was on par with. Maybe by the time I graduate from med school, I'll be ready to try again on a level playing field."

"Well, I say do whatever makes you happy. I had taken myself out of circulation for a while too to make sure I could handle the workload here at Harvard without spreading myself too thin. Now that I think I can – as long I don't have any more equipment malfunctions, I think I'm ready to put myself back out there again."

"Well, good luck to you then..." He laughed. "But just keep your eyes open, and I hope you don't find any more Squirrels around these parts."

"You and me both...you and me both."

"Well, like I said, I was going to order some take out." He paused. "Rufus really likes this Tex-Mex place down the street. Is that okay with you?"

She laughed. "Sounds fine to me." She scratched Rufus's belly again. "So, you like Tex-Mex, huh?"

He looked up and woofed at her before leaning up to lick her face.

"Oh, he loves the stuff. But Rufus, since we have company tonight, no bean burritos for you."

"Let him have one if he loves them so much. What's the worst that can happen?"

He laughed. "Famous last words..."

Rufus kept licking her face as she laughed too. "Anything to stay on his good side."

C.J. just shook his head. "Well, it looks like you have a new friend."

Amy smiled back up at him. "Actually, I think its safe to say I have two new friends..."

_A Halloween Bash at a Bar in Downtown Boston_

The four of Zack, Maya, Bailey and Cody had finally made their way to their destination for the evening despite the funny looks they got on the streets of Boston. And for his part, Zack tried to ignore the numerous cat calls he got as they walked down the street. Though, he did turn to Maya and tell her he felt like a piece of meat on display. Once they got inside the bar though, they were able to find an open table rather easily. The plan was for the guys to go buy the first round, but since Bailey was handcuffed to Cody, it was decided Maya would hold down the fort while the other three hit the bar.

While Maya was sitting there waiting on them to return, she did manage to send a picture of the four of them to her parents. And when she got her father's response, she had to laugh at it. Well, she did until she heard a familiar voice.

"I like your costume, Maya. Can I buy you a drink?"

She looked up, and upon seeing who it was, she sighed. "Will...what are you doing here?"

_To be Continued..._

__**AN: I thought I'd post a chapter in honor of UK finally having a new football coach. Hopefully Coach Stoops will be successful. Also, I ask every wish me luck so that I hit the $550 million dollar powerball tonight. If I do, I'll retire and write more often lol Anyways, I wish I could take credit for the Disney/Nickelodeon being the new rap war line, but I heard it on Talk Soup. **


	12. Beware of JFK

_Chapter 12_

_"Beware of JFK"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_The Halloween Party, Downtown Boston_

Almost immediately, the smile Maya had had on her face disappeared. Instead, she shook her head and groaned at the unwanted intrusion into her evening. She had been so looking forward to a fun night out on the town with her boyfriend and friends. And after all the stress and workloads everyone was now experiencing thanks to grad school or grad level classes, she knew everyone was in need of blowing off some steam. But, in an instant, Maya discovered that her good fortune was gone as she now found herself face to face with an individual she spent the past month or so had even existed. To his credit though, Will wasn't blind or stupid, and he quickly picked up on the fact that his presence was not getting a warm reception. But, he scrounged him his courage as he felt had something to say to Maya. And since he now had her attention, he was going to do it right then and there.

"Look, Maya, I know you're upset with me right now, but..."

She smirked and cut him off. "Gee, Will...what gave you the first clue that I was a little ticked off?"

He sighed. "You have everything all wrong. I tried to tell you that morning of the race, but you stormed off without giving me a chance to. And since then, I've tried to call and left numerous voice mails, but it appears that you've been ignoring me and them. Maya, I had absolutely nothing to do with Zack's hull being sabotaged! I didn't know what my jackass of a roommate had done. If I had, I would have stopped him!"

She rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. That's a likely story..."

"Think about it for a minute. If I had been privy to his idiotic plan, do you really think I would insisted we turn our shell around right before the finish line and head back to try to help them?"

Maya paused as she thought about that. And while she eventually decided that what he said did make some sense, she wasn't sure that it really mattered. "Maybe so, Will. I guess I can accept that. But it still doesn't explain a couple of other things."

"What else is there? I'm sure I can give you a reasonable explanation if you give me a chance."

"And you promise to be completely truthful?"

He held up his hand. "Scout's honor, and you know I was a scout."

She nodded. "Alright. Why did you really show me those pictures you took of Zack and Amanda?"

Will just gave her a look. "Why? That should be an easy one. I did it because I didn't want to see you get hurt again! Remember, I was there the last time?"

"Yeah, I haven't forgot what happened back then. But speaking of the first time, did you have anything to do with those pictures being sent to me back in high school?"

He hesitated. Why did people keep asking him that? "Maya..."

She gave him a look. "Remember, you said you'd be honest. Either tell me the truth please or just leave."

Will sighed. "Fine. Yeah, I did it. I knew that guy wasn't any good for you, so I paid a buddy of mine to keep an eye him for me to see if I was right. And, as evident by those pictures you were sent, you can see that I was!"

Maya shook her head. "How can you be so sure of that? Do you know who that girl was? Did it occur to you that maybe she was his cousin or old friend or something innocent like that?"

He paused again as he tried to find an answer to that. "No, I can't say 100% certainty who she was exactly, but I'm totally positive that he was not right for you."

"You see, Will...that's your problem. You think its your responsibility to determine what is best and what is not best for me. Well, here's a news flash – it isn't! What I do with my life and who I spend my time with is my choice! I admit, I screwed up too. I should have confronted Roger then myself to get the truth, but I didn't. That's my mistake and my cross to bear. But, in the end, I'm glad I didn't. If not, my life might not have taken the path it did, and I'm ecstatic that it has. If I ever see Roger again, I'll talk to him and apologize if I was wrong about what those pictures showed. But I'll never regret anything that has happened to me since then." She paused. "Well, other than my stupidity right after I graduated high school."

"Fair enough. But can't you see I was just trying to look out for you though?"

"I guess I can, and ordinarily, I would have no problem whatsoever with a friend of mine watching my back." She gave him a look. "But I get the impression that's not what we are nor were we ever."

Will frowned. "What are you talking about, Maya? Of course we were friends!"

"If I ask you another question, will you continue to give me an honest answer?"

"Of course."

"Is being my friend all you want to be? Meaning, if I was single, would you be happy with us just being friends or would you want more?"

He paused before slumping his shoulders. "You want me to be honest? Alright, I'll be honest. Maya, I've always thought you and I would be very good together. I thought so back then, and I still do now. So, if given the opportunity, then yes, I would like to be more than friends with you."

She sighed. "So, everyone else was right all along..." She shook her head. "I may be a little slow on the uptake, but now I do. But the scenario I suggested means absolutely nothing. The is I do have a boyfriend now who I happen tolove with all my heart..."

Will sighed this time. "To my chagrin, I'm starting to see that. I won't lie though. I might have been wrong about my second chance being now, but I refuse to give up hope that there won't be another chance for us down the road."

Maya practically growled at him. "Well, you need to because its never going to happen! You need to get it through your thick skull that I'm firmly taken and off the market!"

"How can you be so sure? Anything can happen."

"Because I have faith that I will be with Zack for the rest of my life. That's what I believe, and that's all that matters to me. Besides, if the unthinkable happened, I still would have no interest in being with you - especially after everything you've done to try to manipulate my life."

"I did those things for you."

"No, you did them for you!"

Will paused again. "Will you give me an honest answer to a question now?"

"Shoot."

"What's so different in what I did and in what you did to Zack? You told me the whole story, remember? Why was it possible for him to forgive you and be with you again? I don't see any distinction..."

Maya laughed. "That's an easy one. Yeah, I screwed up, but before then, we both loved each other. I took the chance that the love he once had for me was still there or could be rekindled. Fortunately for me, it worked out. You, on the other hand, I never had any feelings other than friendship for."

That one stung, and Will gritted his teeth. While he wasn't happy, he still felt if he could at least remain close, you would have another chance in the future. "I see. Well, if that's the way you see things, I'll have to learn to accept it. At the least, I hope we can stay friends."

She laughed again. "I seriously doubt that. I may have thought we were friends back then, but I have no desire to be any more."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Why not?"

Maya just shook her head. "Are you really that dumb? How in the world did you get accepted to Princeton and then Harvard? Will, you've pretty much just said you don't respect my ability to run my own life. I have no desire to be around people who have no respect for me. I have better things to do with my time. The ironic thing is that if you had just wanted to be friends before you started all of this years ago, odds are we could have probably been good friends."

"Why can't you give me a chance to change?"

"Because I wouldn't do that to Zack. I wouldn't like it if he had a friend constantly hanging around him that I knew had a major thing for him, so I won't expect him to deal with it with the situation reversed." She paused. "Besides, I now find you really creepy."

Will was getting desperate. "Maya, I'm the same guy I've always been."

She shrugged. "That may be so. The sad thing is that I'm just finally getting to see who the real you is. And from what I've seen, I don't care to know you any more. So, I'm asking you to leave right now. And before you do, I'm going to give you a warning. If you bother me anymore, I'll give you a first hand demonstration on the martial arts I've learned over the past few years. Oh, and then I'd probably have a restraining order slapped on you..."

Will just looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Maya..."

"Just leave...Please."

He gave her a look before taking a deep breath. "Alright. I'll leave now. But, Maya, I can feel it in my soul that this isn't over yet. I may have overstepped some lines in the past, but everything I've done, I've done for you..."

Meanwhile, over at the bar area, Zack, Cody, and Bailey had placed their orders and were waiting for the busy bartender to get around to filling them. And as they waited, Zack kept trying to adjust his dress.

After failing to get himself comfortable, he shook his head and sighed. "I know I like the way Maya looks in these things, but I honestly don't see how she tolerates wearing them. Not only isn't it overly snug is certain areas, but is it just me or is it awfully drafty in here?"

Cody just gave him a look. "Please tell me you have something on underneath of it..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I have on a pair of white athletic stretch shorts on underneath."

"Yeah, the fact that you essentially have on a pair of bicycle shorts on underneath doesn't make me feel any better. Either way, not a sight I have any interest in seeing..."

"Well, excuse me. I forgot you were the expert on wearing women's clothing, Broseph. I should have consulted you on the dos and don'ts of it..." And with that, Zack began trying to adjust his false bosoms.

Cody just turned to Bailey and whispered. "I don't even want to know what he's doing for..." He paused. "...padding."

She smiled at him. "Now, don't you feel lucky that I didn't make you wear any of your own?"

"Eternally grateful!"

She laughed, but Zack turned back to them and smirked. "Alright. I have to ask. You two are both dressed up as prison inmates. Who is making who their bitch tonight?"

Both just glared at him. "Zack!"

He laughed. "Oh, I'm just kidding. Besides, everyone already knows the answer to that one already. Bailey, all I ask is that you go easy on my baby brother. He's fragile..."

Cody took umbrage with that. "Hey! For the last time, I'm not fragile!"

About that time, the bartender finally arrived with their drinks, and Zack turned to his brother and sister-in-law.

"I'll get the first round, and you two can get the next one." He turned to the bartender. "How much do I owe you?"

The bartender paused for a second before shaking his head. "Actually, they've already been paid for." He nodded over his shoulder. "Those three guys over there said to put your drinks on their tabs. Far be it for me to tell them that they needed to get their eyes checked..."

_C.J.'s Place_

About halfway through the original Halloween movie (right after the sheriff conveniently forgot to mention to his daughter that there was a homicidal maniac on the loose), the doorbell rang as the delivery guy had showed up with their food. So, as the body count continued to grow (which might make some people easy), the three of C.J., Amy and Rufus proceeded to chow down. Even the high pitched screams of a young Jamie Lee Curtis was having no effect on them as they continued to dine on their selection of Tex/Mex food. And as the movie finally ended, Amy turned to C.J.

"Why don't they make good horror movies like that any more. The ones nowadays pretty much all suck. Yeah, the first Saw movie was pretty good, but then they kept trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip with seemingly endless number of sequels."

He shrugged. "I guess that's true. Either they try to keep making money on what once worked or they try to remake the classics with all new casts and way too much CGI."

"Tell me about it! The remake of a Nightmare on Elm Street was horrible."

"I know. That's why I'm a fan of the classics." He paused. "Well, most of them anyways. Some back in the good old days were pretty bad too. But its just not Halloween I'm like that. For example, during Thanksgiving, watching Charlie Brown is a must. And during Christmas, I have to watch the Grinch and Its a Wonderful Life just on principle. But for the life of me, and I don't know why, I have just never gotten into A Christmas Story."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Why not? Its the best Christmas movie ever!"

"Its alright. I guess I'm just more of a Christmas Vacation fan myself." C.J. paused and smiled. "Of course, there is the greatest Christmas movie ever made..."

"Yeah? What's that?"

He laughed. "Die Hard!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "I should have known. For some reason, every guy likes that movie..."

"Why wouldn't they? Its Bruce Willis back when he kicked butt!"

She shook her head. "Anyways. Speaking of the upcoming holidays, you heading back out to California for them?"

"For Christmas, definitely. But, for Thanksgiving, probably not..." He sighed. "...even though my mother is giving me a total guilt trip about it."

"Why wouldn't you go?"

"Because our final in our Human Body class is the Monday following the holiday weekend. It just doesn't make sense for me to head home for a couple of days when I should be here studying for it..."

Amy shook her head and laughed. "You know? That sounds exactly like something my sister and brother-in-law would say. I think you're proving to be not normal just like them!"

C.J. gave her a questioning look. "Really? This from the same person who was spending her Halloween writing a paper?"

Amy wanted to be able to rebut that, but she knew she couldn't. So, she just shook her head and sighed. "Oh great...they've rubbed off on to me now! This is all I need..."

He laughed this time. "Don't worry about it. It actually shows that you have your priorities in the right place."

"While that may be true, if they ever find about this, I'll never hear the end of it! After the amount of teasing I give them, they'd never let me forget this!"

He kept laughing. "Well, if it makes you feel better, my lips are sealed."

She smiled. "Thank you. As for Thanksgiving though, you're more than welcome to join all of us that day. Bailey and Cody always say the more the merrier, and they always make way too much food."

"Really? You think they would mind?"

"Not at all. And its like we can head back to Kettlecorn either. We only get Wednesday through Friday off, so it wouldn't make sense to go home for a couple of days before coming back. I think that's why they split up the holidays. Thanksgiving here in Boston and Christmas in Kansas."

"Well, we don't even get that much time off, and Palo Alto is twice as far away. While our Wednesday afternoon Patient/Doctor I class has been canceled, we'll still have our final gross anatomy class and lab that morning."

"That sucks." She shook her head and sighed. "You know, I really should have looked at vacation days better when I decided between Harvard and Yale. While they were at Yale, Bailey and Cody got a whole week for Thanksgiving and then two whole weeks for spring break. Right about now, that sounds really nice..."

C.J. laughed. "Yeah, it does. Of course, my Mom would like it even more. That way, she'd get to see her 'Baby Boy' more often. She really wishes I had gone to medical school at Stanford. Fortunately, Dad convinced her I should go for the best, and she relented. And he's almost convinced her that me staying here over break is the right thing to do. While she might accept it now, I know she's not happy about it."

"Its kind of the opposite with us girls. Its usually Daddy freaking out about his daughters with Momma trying to get him to see reason."

"Yeah, my Dad is the same way about my sisters. That does remind me of something though. Speaking of being responsible for another life, I need to call around and find a kennel tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Well, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my Dad will be in New York speaking at a medical conference. He wants me to drive down and take me out to dinner that evening." He paused and laughed. "Of course, I think he also wants a free ride to the airport the next morning."

"Yeah, but you're getting a free meal out of it. I say you take advantage of that whenever you can."

"True, but with me staying in New York overnight, I won't have anybody to feed Rufus or take him for a walk that day. Hence, why I need to find a kennel."

Amy looked at him and shook her head. "Don't even bother. Look no further when you have a built in dog sitter in the same block. Rufus can stay with us that night. Bailey loves animals, and Cody will do whatever she tells him to do. We'll watch him, and when you get back on Thursday afternoon, you can head over to the Tipton with us when we go."

"You sure? I don't want to be a pain in the butt."

She smiled. "Oh please. After what you did for me tonight, I owe you way more than that."

"Thanks." He turned to Rufus. "Well, it looks like you will be the guest of Amy, Bailey and Cody while I'm in New York. I full expect you to be on your best behavior that night, you hear me?"

Rufus just looked up at him and woofed.

"Good boy." He laughed. "But, if he does act up, he's so big that there's not really anything I or anyone else could do about it..."

Amy laughed too. "Don't worry. He'll be in very good hands. Bailey and I have been taking care of animals my whole life..." She paused as she suddenly caught whiff of a very unpleasant aroma. "Whoa...what was that?"

C.J. just shook his head and kept laughing. "Don't say I didn't warn you! I told you what would happen if he had a bean burrito!"

_The Halloween Party_

When Zack, Cody and Bailey finally returned to the table Maya was at with all of the drinks, the guys had noticeable scowls on their faces while Bailey was still laughing so hard she was almost crying. Upon seeing the extreme opposite reactions everyone had on their faces, Maya's curiosity got the best of her.

"Okay...Did I miss something?"

Zack immediately shook his head. "Nope, nothing, Babe. You missed absolutely nothing."

Naturally, she wasn't buying that for a second, so she turned to Bailey. "Okay, what happened?"

Bailey was still laughing. "These guys across the bar bought our round for us because they couldn't tell from that distance that Cody and Zack were really guys..."

Maya's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?"

"Oh yeah. When they came over to make their move, they finally realized their mistake. If you think the looks on Cody's and Zack's faces are priceless, you should have seen theirs. I'm pretty sure they turned around and left the bar ASAP..."

Maya laughed. "Oh wow! I would have loved to have seen that!" She paused. "Did they think you were a guy too?"

Bailey shrugged. "I have no idea. I was so busy laughing at what was happening that I couldn't have cared less what they thought about me. I think they just wanted to get out of here and forget this ever happened."

Zack sighed. "Can't we please do the same?"

Cody nodded. "I would be all for that as well."

Bailey kissed his cheek and teased him. "Don't worry, Sweetie. That guy might have run screaming, but you'll always have me..." She teased him. "...even if you're in drag."

He hung his head. "You're enjoying this way too much..." He paused and a smile came to his face. "I guess I'll just have to doubly enjoy when that package comes in the mail sometime this week."

Maya spoke up. "What kind of package?"

Bailey shook her head. "Oh, its nothing to worry about. I just lost a bet with Cody, that's all." She decided she was in favor of changing the subject herself. "Sorry it took so long though. The bar was really packed. Hope you didn't get bored waiting on us."

She sighed. "No, can't say that I did. Unfortunately, I wasn't by myself for too long."

That caught Zack's attention. "You weren't? Who else was here?"

Taking a sip of her drink first, she replayed to the other three about Will stopping by the table and the ensuing conversation they had had. Taking another sip, she sighed again. "So, it looks like all three of you were right about him having ulterior motives. I feel like such an idiot for not seeing it myself."

Zack rubbed her back. "Don't beat yourself up, Babe. You had no way of knowing all of that. You just thought he was an old friend you hadn't seen in a while."

Cody nodded. "Plus, it can happen to anyone. When we ran into Barbara our first weekend at Yale, I thought I was just seeing an old friend again too. Little did I know that she almost immediately began formulating a plot to get me back. Fortunately, she quickly realized I belonged to Bailey and that she had no chance. Hopefully, this Will guy will buy a clue too."

Bailey spoke up. "Plus, you now know to be alert if he tries anything else. Like Cody said, hopefully he will eventually buy a clue. Because, trust me on this, I know how much of pain in the butt it can be when someone doesn't..."

Maya nodded. "That's right. How did you ever get that Moose guy to finally give up?"

She shrugged. "I let him know in no uncertain terms where I stood in my relationship with Cody. I think that it destroyed whatever misguided image of me he was still trying to hold onto, and that seemed to end the dreams he was still holding onto." She paused. "Plus, I told him I had no desire to be his friend or have him constantly try to interfere in our lives. When he left, he just told Cody that he better know how lucky he was, and then he walked out the door."

"And you haven't seen him since?"

"Nope. When we went back to Kettlecorn this past summer, we didn't see any sign of him. To be honest, I'm kind of hoping we never do ever again. I know he did his share of doing or attempting to do bad things to us, but I'm at the point now where I just want to bury everything in the past, forget about it and move on with our lives."

At that, Cody took Bailey's hand in his. "Me too, Sweetheart. Me too."

Maya nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Zack looked at her. "Me too, but I want you to be on alert just in case. I've warned him already that you know some martial arts, but I don't know if he took me seriously."

She smiled at him. "Well, I warned him too, but if he tries anything funny again, he'll learn the hard way. I say we take our own advice, try to forget about all of this and have some fun?" She stood up and winked at Zack. "I have the sudden urge to dance with my favorite centerfold."

He laughed. "Sounds good to me." He paused. "Though, with you dressed like a guy and me as a girl, which one of us gets to lead?"

She laughed too. "We'll figure it out as we go. Lets hit the dance floor!"

Cody couldn't help himself. "Just be careful if you see anyone dressed as JFK out there..." He paused. "Or RFK..." He paused again. "Heck, be careful if you see anyone dressed as a Kennedy or a member of the rat pack!"

Everyone laughed, and Bailey stood up too. "Come on, Lindsey. I want to dance too with my favorite centerfold." She paused and chuckled again. "Isn't it kind of ironic that you are a twin dressed up as someone who once played twins in a movie?"

"Yeah, that wasn't lost on me. As a twin though, I take great umbrage that they couldn't have found a set of twins to have played that role. I mean, weren't the Olsens available or would they have cost too much? Anyways, I think it blatantly unfair that the only roles twins can get are when they are younger, and they have to share the role of one person."

She smiled at him. "It'll be okay, Honey. You're going to be a doctor, not an actor."

"That's true." He smiled back at her. "Speaking of irony, you're dressed up as someone who once starred in a bad ripoff of Snow White, and London once told us of her dream of you being Snow White once..."

She leaned in and kissed him. "And in both her dream and in real life, you are my Prince Charming. Now, come on! Lets dance"

A few hours later, everyone finally returned back to their table to catch their breaths after dancing a good portion of that time. And as they did, Bailey paused as she suddenly realized something. Exhaling, she turned to Cody.

"Sweetie...we might have a little problem."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

She winced. "I need to use the ladies' room, and...well...we are handcuffed together..."

_C.J.'s Place_

As the credits to Zombieland began to roll, C.J. got up to yawn and stretch his legs. Of course, that's when he noticed that Rufus was sound asleep with his head still in Amy's lap. Upon seeing that, he just shook his head again and laughed.

"I'm going to give him such a hard time about this later..."

Amy laughed too. "Don't be too hard on him. I think he was just worn out trying to keep up with all of the rules from that movies."

"I guess so. After all, it is..." He chocked the clock on the wall, and his eyes went wide. "...two o'clock in the morning! I had no idea it was this late..."

She yawned. "Well, we did watch three movies. That was going to take some time."

"Come on, lets go check on your computer so you can get back to your dorm before the sun rises. It should be done by now."

So, they headed upstairs, and after C.J. gave her laptop and thorough inspection, he looked up at Amy and grinned. "Good as new." He loaded the computer back into her carrying case and slipped the flash drive into one of the pockets. "Just get that back to me whenever you get a chance."

Amy smiled back at him. "Thank you so much again for everything. I really owe you one."

"Yeah, we'll see if you're saying the same thing after a night of dog sitting Rufus. I'm already declaring us even after that!"

"I seriously doubt it will be any problem at all." She yawned again. "But I really should be heading home though. Even though you were able to save my paper, I still have a lot of work to do tomorrow editing it." She paused. "I hope when I get to the subway station, I don't have to wait long to catch a train back over to the Yard."

C.J. shook his head. "Uh uh. Its two A.M. on Halloween night. I shudder to think of the kind of crazies that will be on the subway at this hour. Let me grab my keys, and I'll drive you back myself."

"I couldn't ask you to do that. You've done enough for me tonight already."

"Yes, you can ask me. If it was one of my sisters in your place, I much rather someone gave her a ride than have her face public transportation." He smiled. "Now, are you going to keep arguing with me or just give in and save us some time. I warn you - I'm not going to take no for an answer here."

She shook her head. "Why are all guys so stubborn? Fine. Lets go."

At that moment, Rufus walked into the room and barked. C.J. shook his head and sighed. "You mind if Rufus comes along? I think he wants to say goodnight plus he loves riding in the car."

She smiled. "I wouldn't mind at all. It'll give Rufus and I longer to bond. That way, he'll behave for me later on."

Once they got down to his garage, Amy had to laugh when she saw his car. "I could have sworn all of those pictures upstairs showed you having a convertible."

He shrugged. "That was a rental car to drive across the country in. My Dad wanted me to buy one to have here in Boston as he thought it would be a boost to my confidence and help with the ladies. But I didn't think that would be a very prudent idea. I've heard enough stories about how bad the winters get around here. I'd prefer to have four wheel drive and no cloth top when dealing with those."

She just shook her head. "While that makes perfect sense, it sounds exactly like something some other people I know have said before about vehicles and Boston weather. Remember, you don't want to be too much like them."

"You mean people like you?"

Amy rolled her eyes again as she realized he and got her again. "Yeah, yeah..."

C.J. laughed. "That's what I thought..." Once in the car, he started it up. "Just give me the address of your dorm, I'll punch it into the GPS and off we'll go."

And off they did. The whole way there, Rufus had his head out the window in the back seat loving every second of it. When they finally got back to Amy's dorm, C.J. turned to her.

"Well, here you go. Curbside service. Much better than any subway. I hope your night wasn't too terrible."

She shook her head. "Well, it might have started pretty bad, but I actually had a lot of fun tonight." She smiled and teased him. "Here's some advice for you. Watch how much you hang out with my sister and brother-in-law, and there might be hope for you yet."

He laughed. "Thanks, I think. Well...Kettlecorn, good night."

"You too, Palo Alto."

He paused and grinned. "You know, I like the sound of that. Make me seem...exotic and dangerous."

Amy laughed. "Uh huh. Maybe I should just call you P.A. then for short. Don't want it to go to your head." She paused. "Speaking of initials though, there is something I'm curious about. What does C.J. stand for anyway?"

C.J. sighed. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"You have my word."

"Well, I have the same name as my father who my grandfather named after his favorite actor. Unfortunately, its not the most masculine of names though. My first name is..." He paused and cringed. "Carroll...C.J. is short for Carroll Jr."

She just gave him a look. "Carroll? Are you serious?" She shook her head and laughed. "Oh wow..."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks...You have no idea how much teasing I used to get for that when I was younger. People kept telling me that I had a girl's name. When my grandmother started calling me 'C.J.', I went with it..."

Amy smiled. "I wasn't laughing to make fun of it. I was laughing because its ironic. I happen to be a big fan of the name...well, the version with only one 'R' and one 'L'. My middle name is Carol."

"Oh..." He paused and laughed. "Oh...Okay, that is kind of ironic."

"Don't worry about it. I completely understand why you felt the need to change it." She paused. "Ever thought about going by your middle name though?"

He shook his head. "Not really. My middle name is my grandfather's first name, and it would have been confusing to have both of us called the same name."

"Understood." She grabbed her things and smiled. "Well, C.J. or P.A. or Carroll, good night, and thank you once again. If I don't see you again beforehand, I'll see you around Thanksgiving." She turned and saw Rufus had his head in between the seats. "And you, young man, I'll see then too. You and I are going to have some fun." She leaned in and kissed his nose. "You behave yourself until then, you got me?"

Rufus barked before licking her face. Amy laughed as she got out of the car. And after walking into Apley Court and up the stairs to her room, she opened the door and headed inside. She was about to head to her bedroom and call it a night when she heard someone clearing their throat. Turning around, she saw her roommate, Beth, standing there in her robe with her hands on her hips. But even with that pose, she had a smile on her face.

"And just where have you been until this hour of the night, young lady?"

_The Halloween Party_

Zack and Maya had been sitting at their table for almost forty-five minutes when they both begun to get really concerned that Cody and Bailey had returned yet from the bathroom. But just as they were about to get up to go search the club for them, they saw them walking back towards the table. And from the looks on their faces, it was obvious that both were fighting the urge not to bust out laughing.

Zack shook his head. "Where have you two been?"

Cody was still trying to hold in his laughter. "We'll have to tell you guys later. Bailey and I have been informed that we have to leave the bar ASAP."

Maya and Zack looked at each other in surprise. But when they turned back, Cody and Bailey had grabbed their coats and were making a beeline for the door of the establishment. Quickly, Maya and Zack grabbed their things and headed off after them. And out on the street, they finally caught up with them.

"Okay, slow down you two! What happened? Why were you two kicked out?"

Bailey giggled. "Well, we knew that we couldn't go in either the ladies or mens room, so we asked one of the waitresses if there was a private one we could use. She was hesitant at first, but when we showed her that we were handcuffed together, she took pity on us. So, she lead us to the employee bathroom that was off of the storage room. Anyways, as we were heading back, we heard one of our favorite songs start to play. Not wanting to waste any of it or the room we had in there all to ourselves, we just began to dance in there. Well, realizing we were all alone, we took the opportunity that we were presented..." Seeing the looks she was getting from Zack and Maya, she shook her head. "No, not that! We were just...making out a little bit. Unfortunately, one of the female bartenders walked in to get another bottle of rum and caught us. We explained to her that we were married and not doing anything underhanded, but she said she had to throw us out so others wouldn't think they could try it and get away with it."

Cody grinned. "Though she did say good for us that we were still keeping the spark alive in our marriage..."

Zack shook his head. "I think you're letting your costumes get the best of you. I can't believe my brother was actually kicked out of a bar tonight. Never thought I'd ever see this day." He paused. "Of course, it was for making out with his wife, but still...I'm proud of you, Bro."

Maya laughed. "Well, I think it was time to call it a night anyways."

Bailey nodded. "True. I think we'll just catch the subway at the stop up the street here instead of doubling back. We'll see you guys later."

So, the two couples headed in separate directions. And once they were finally on the train heading back towards their house, Cody turned to Bailey. "Why is it we always get interrupted when we're making out in public? First Kirby and now this..."

She laughed. "Well, that's true, but I can think of several advantages we have this time around..."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well, for one, we don't have to worry about getting detention for it. And two, we're now heading back to our own place where we can resume what we were doing in the privacy of our own home without worrying about anyone interrupting us again..."

Cody grinned. "That is very true!"

She cuddled up next to him. "I'm sorry I forgot the handcuff key back at home tonight."

He kissed the top of her head. "Actually, I don't mind at all. There is no one else in the world I'd want to be bound to like that. Besides..." He paused. "...I don't know why, but in some ways, its kind of exciting if you think about it."

Bailey looked up at him. "You think so?"

"Uh huh. We don't have to find that key and unlock ourselves as soon as we get home, do we?"

"No, we don't..." She grinned. "You know...you're still my wild mustang, Cody..."

He neighed at her. "You bet I am!"

_To be Continued..._

__**AN: Sorry it took so long to update. There was a death in the family that has taken up a lot of my time lately. I'll try to update more often in the future. And (shameless plug), more reviews would be nice.**


	13. In a Galaxy Not So Far Away

_Chapter 13_

_"In a Galaxy Not So Far Away"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Harvard Medical School, the following Monday _

Once Halloween weekend was over, it was time for everyone to quit pretending to be someone else and return to being their normal selves. Of course, on Monday morning, that meant everyone had to return to class and resume being college students. For those at Harvard Medical School, that meant yet another day of dissecting the corpse in their Human Body class and lab. Finally, at a little after 12:30, they finally finished for their lesson on the gastrointestinal system for the day. And almost immediately, everyone headed for the respective locker rooms to grab showers and change back into fresh clothes in hopes of escaping the unpleasant smells that unfortunately accompanied the cadavers. When Cody and C.J. finally walked back out of the guy's locker room, they saw Bailey was already there leaning against the wall, waiting on them with the biggest smile on her face.

Cody could only shake his head. "At home, it seems like you can spend hours in the tub yet here, you're already done cleaning up."

She laughed. "Well like I told you back in college, communal showers are not my favorite thing. Besides, you've spoiled me with having a spotless and sterile place to bathe, so I get in and out of the ones here as quickly as I can..."

He shrugged. "Fair enough I guess. So, where's Gabby? I know we just got out of our gross anatomy lab, but I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Remember, today is one of her rehab days with Maya. She somehow finished before I did, and she's already left to head over to BU. It'll just be the three of us today for lunch."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Oh well, shall we head out then?"

"Lets." Bailey turned to C.J. and smiled. "And your lunch will be on us today. Consider it my way of thanking you for helping my sister out on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, you were over here at the medical library studying yourself when her laptop began going haywire."

C.J. paused for a minute as that wasn't exactly the way he remembered things happening. Then, it dawned on him that that was the story Amy must have given Bailey instead of telling her the truth that she was really studying on Halloween night. Remembering his promise to keep her secret, he shrugged. "I'll take a free lunch, but it wasn't really that big of a deal. I just happened to be at the right place at the right night yesterday..."

"Well, I'm just glad she was able to save her paper before something catastrophic happened. If not for her grade in the class then for her state of mind, I'm glad you were there. Plus, it makes me feel good that she's already met people here so far away from home that she can turn to in an emergency."

C.J. shrugged again. "Like I said, I was in the right place at the right time. Thanks to years of messing around with computers, I was able to easily see what the problem was and fixed it. I'm sure if I hadn't been there, she would have come looking for you guys, and Cody could have handled it."

"Maybe so, but you still have our thanks. Plus, she also happened to mention to me about talk you two had about the situation you've found yourself in for Thanksgiving. If you do end up staying here in Boston over break, we insist you join us over at the Tipton to eat."

"You sure about that?"

Cody grinned. "Positive. We always make way too much food anyways."

Bailey continued. "And Amy has told us about her volunteering to dog sit Rufus the night before as well, and we'd be more than happy to do that as well. Amy and I both grew up around animals, so he'll be in very good hands. Plus, Cody has become some kind of cat whisperer, so he's more than capable too."

C.J. smiled. "Well, if you guys are sure, then I would like to formally accept the invitation and give you my RSVP. Thank you."

"Our pleasure. Besides, Gabby isn't heading home either, so she will be joining us as well. Plus, I think you met everyone else either at the cookout we had or at Cody's surprise birthday party. So, it should be a lot of fun that day."

Cody decided to tease his friend. "Now, as for your so called 'dog', will we need to get him hay or some raw meat or a saddle or anything like that?"

C.J. laughed. "Nah, nothing like that. He may be big enough to be an equine, but he's still a canine. As for food, I'll just bring over enough of his food for him to eat dinner and breakfast as well as some of his treats if he is behaving himself. Other than that, he'll just need to be walked that night and again the next morning so he can do his business. I should be back in Boston about two o'clock or so to take care of afternoon needs."

"Anything else in particular we should know?"

He paused to think. "I know he thinks he's half human, and I'm as guilty as anyone about giving him human food. But, whatever you do, don't give him any chocolate. While I love the stuff, the vet says it could kill him."

Cody nodded. "I know all about that kind of thing. I've talked to our vet before to make sure I don't accidentally give Al anything that could be bad for him."

Bailey turned to him in confusion. "You have?"

"Of course. Al and I are finally friends now. I don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart by giving him food poisoning or worse..."

She smiled at him. "Good thinking, Sweetie." She turned back to C.J. "As for you, wear your loosest pants though. Take it from me, you'll definitely end up eating way too much."

He laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Cody spoke up. "And make sure you close your books and notes for the day before you head over. If you like football, there are games on before, during and after we eat. And then even later that evening, we have something really special planned."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Well, our friend, London Tipton is dating Todd St. Mark, and his family owns the St. Mark Hotel across the street from the Tipton. His family also owns one of the largest chains of movie theaters here on the east coast. So, he's not only reserved the small theater in the St. Mark for the evening, he's also managed to secure us a copy of the new Star Wars Episode VII for us to watch there in a private screening."

C.J.'s eyes went wide. "Are you serious? I've been wanting to see that since they announced they were going to make more of them!"

Cody laughed. "Same here. So don't eat too much turkey that you fall asleep in the middle of it."

"I'll stick to the ham them!" He paused. "You know, ever since I heard Lucas had sold out to Disney and a new trilogy was in the works, I've had mixed emotions about it. While I love the original trilogy and tolerated the prequels, but I'm kind of worried what Disney will do with the new ones. They don't have the best track record of being able to end things well."

Cody shrugged. "True, they do have a lousy history of that. But to be fair, lately, they done a real good job with all of the Marvel Comics movies they bought the rights to. So, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt...for this one."

"Fair enough. I just hope they didn't let Lucas get too involved with it. While I didn't they they were all that bad, my Dad will never forgive him for the prequel trilogy."

Cody nodded. "I know what you mean. When Zack and I were five or six, our Dad sat us down and watched the original trilogy with him. The next day, he took us to the theater to see the Phantom Menace." He paused and sighed. "As we left the theater that afternoon, I saw my father cry for the very first time..."

"If I hadn't been two at the time, I probably would have seen the same thing. And if that wasn't enough for my Dad to accuse George Lucas of ruining his childhood, he wasn't done yet. I know when the fourth Indiana Jones movie came out, my Dad was speechless and now refuses to admit the movie even exists."

Bailey couldn't help herself. "Boys and their toys. They were just movies. Come on guys, none of that could have been that bad..."

Cody gave her a look. "The fourth Indiana Jones was the one that was filmed on Yale's campus."

She paused before her eyes went wide. "Wait a minute! Are you talking about the one with Shia LeBeouf and the stupid crystal skulls?"

"Yup."

A look of disgust spread on her face. "That movie sucked!"

Cody just smiled. "Yeah, it sure did..." He then paused and sighed. "Though, I can't give Lucas too hard of a time. I'm ashamed to say that at first, I actually..." He swallowed. "...liked Jar Jar Binks."

C.J.'s mouth fell open. "Please tell me you didn't!"

"I did, but you have to remember that I was really young. I didn't know any better at the time! Now, I do!"

_Boston University Fit&Rec Center _

A couple of hours later, across town at Boston University, Gabby had just finished up her biweekly rehab session with Maya. And after Gabby had showered and changed back into her street clothes for the second time that afternoon, she and Maya were talking while Maya waited for her next appointment.

"So, I hear you're going to be joining us for Thanksgiving this year. That's awesome. The food is always good, and there's always way too much of it."

Gabby smiled. "So Bailey keeps telling me. Besides, it just made the most sense for me to stay here in Boston over break. With our Human Body final the following Monday morning, it just didn't make any sense for me to head home. I know my folks are disappointed, but they understand. If I had gone back to Phoenix, I would either have to turn around fly right back here on Friday or spend the whole weekend there studying. And knowing my family, they would have tried to be accommodating with that, but the lure to spend time with them would have been too great"

"I can understand that." Maya paused and shook her head. "Though, I have to say, in my opinion, it sounds downright cruel for your professor to give you guys that exam the Monday after the holiday weekend. You would think they would have scheduled it for the Wednesday before so wouldn't have to spend the whole holiday not worrying about it."

She shrugged. "In some ways, I completely agree with you. But in others, I can appreciate that he is giving us four whole days without having to go to class to study for it. Either way, its going to be totally brutal, so I'll take all the prep time I can get for it."

"That's true, I guess..." But before she could finish her thought though, they realized they were no longer alone as Max hobbled into the pool area on her crutches. Seems she was the next appointment on Maya's schedule that afternoon.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

Maya smiled. "Oh, we were just commiserating about how bad it sucks that the Med School gang has their gross anatomy final on the Monday after Thanksgiving."

Max's eyes went wide. "Seriously? The day after Thanksgiving break? That completely sucks! Its stuff like that makes me somewhat glad I didn't ever go to college. I'm not sure I could resist giving my teacher a piece of my mind if they did that kind of stuff to me!"

Gabby laughed. "It is what it is..."

"If you say so..." She paused as she thought of something. "I do have to ask though - doesn't slicing and dicing on a cadaver creep you out? I mean, I didn't think dissecting a frog in high school was that bad, but then again, a frog was never once someone's mother or father or daughter or son..."

She nodded. "Yeah, that thought crossed my mind at first, and the first week of the class, it would severely creep me out. But as time has gone by, you get used to it and begin to appreciate the sacrifice these people made so that we can all hopefully become competent doctors. Plus, they try to keep us as detached as possible by keeping the faces covered up for as long as they can so that we never get to see what the donors actually looked like."

"Probably a good idea. I'd feel like their eyes were watching me the whole time asking me why I was cutting them up and holding their internal organs."

Gabby laughed again. "Yeah, I imagine I would think the exact same thing. I'll be much happier when the patients I have to deal with are still alive when they get to me..."

Maya decided the current conversation was a tad too morbid for her tastes and decided to try to change the subject. "Speaking of Thanksgiving break though, do you have any plans for that day, Max?"

Max shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing I'm really looking forward to. My grandmother usually goes to the house of one of the ladies in her canasta group, and she's invited me to join them. But, I can't say I'm too enthused about it. I'm looking forward to the football games, and I seriously doubt they are too."

She smiled. "Well, that settles it then! Tell your grandmother that you'll be joining us for the day then. We all gather up in London's penthouse, watch football and eat way too much. And this year, we're getting a private screening of the new Star Wars movie thanks to London's boyfriend, Todd."

Her eyes went wide again. "Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"Consider me there then! That sounds about a thousand times more fun to me! I..." She paused as she thought of something. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but who's doing the cooking though? Its not Carey, is it?"

Maya laughed. "They sometimes let her help, but Cody and Bailey are the main chefs. In years past, he did the majority of it, but he's taught her enough by now that she's become a pretty good cook herself. So, they prepare it as a team."

Max laughed too. "I'm definitely in then! I haven't had a Cody home cooked meal in a long time. Plus, it'll be nice to be able to hang around people in my own age group who actually realize the NFL has nothing to do with cards." She paused and grinned. "Besides, I can't wait to finally tease the twins in person about their Halloween costumes. Thanks again for texting me a picture of them on Saturday night."

"My pleasure. That night turned out to be priceless..." She paused. "...eve though I know I'm going to major league pay for it next year."

"Knowing Zack, yeah, you should probably be very afraid..."

Maya shrugged. "Oh well, it was totally worth it to see that." She paused and laughed again. "Well, that and actually getting to see Cody and Bailey getting kicked out of a bar that night..."

That caught both of the other ladies' attention. "Excuse me?"

"They got kicked out of a bar? What did they do? They didn't mention that to me this morning!"

Maya quickly filled them in on the events of Halloween night, and both Gabby and Max busted out laughing at hearing the story. "Wow...I would never have saw that coming! But I guess they old saying is true - its the quiet, innocent looking ones you have to keep your eye on."

Max nodded. "Never would have saw it coming either, but I actually think its kind of sweet and romantic. Yeah, they got kicked out of a bar, but it was for making out with each other. I mean, those two are so in love with each other that they didn't mind getting caught up in the moment. I really envy them for having that kind of relationship."

Gabby sighed. "Yeah, now that you mention it, so do I. I hope I can find that for myself one day..."

"Same here."

Maya smiled. "Well, I'm sure both of you will some day. And I wouldn't doubt it if that day was sooner than later. Take it from person experience though. Just when you've about given up on love and aren't looking for it, that's when it finds you."

_New Haven, the Saturday before Thanksgiving_

Once they had gotten re-acclimated to being back in school after the holiday break, the next three weeks seem to pass by fairly quickly. Of course, they did enjoy having the one day off for Veteran's Day, but Cody and Bailey used it as a study day to make up for the day they were going to be taking off the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And when that day finally arrived, it was time for Cody and Bailey to fulfill a promise they had made to some friends several months before. After getting out of class on that Friday and after making sure Albert had enough food and water for that night and the next day, the duo packed a bag and began the familiar drive to the southeast back to New Haven, Connecticut. Fortunately from them, both Tapeworm and Gertie were already done with their classes for the day and were already back at their new apartment together to welcome them back to Yale University. As it was close to seven o'clock when they got there, everyone headed out to revisit some of their favorite haunts from their four years of college and to catch each other up with what was going on in their lives.

But the real reason for their trip back was the next day as the four of them headed off to the Yale Bowl for the annual renewal of the rivalry between Harvard and Yale on the gridiron. And even though they now had divided loyalties, Cody and Bailey remained loyal to their alma mater and dressed in their old hooded Yale sweatshirts. The game was actually more competitive than years past, and the majority of the crowd fell silent as they watched Harvard pull out a victory with a late fourth quarter drive. As the four of them walked back to the car after the game, Tapeworm couldn't resist the urge to tease his friends once again.

"So, are you guys happy or disappointed with today's outcome?"

Cody grinned. "I guess you could say a little of both. While it would have been nice if Yale won, we won't be the subject of scorn on campus on Monday now. Sure, we might get teased a little bit, but not as bad as if the situation was reversed."

Tapeworm just looked at his friend and shook his head. "Nobody likes a fence sitter, Man. In a rivalry like this one, you can't be a fan of both schools. Its akin to saying you like both the Yankees and Sox and are hoping for a well played game. I expected more out of you, Cody!"

Bailey couldn't help but to laugh. "You know, I've missed this. I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to hear Tapeworm give Cody pure hell about things..."

Gertie laughed too. "You and me both! With you two now in Boston, I get to be the one that bears the full brunt of his sarcastic jokes and comments."

Tapeworm looked over at her in surprise. "Hey! That's not true!"

"Oh, you know I still love you, so pipe down..."

He just shook his head and sighed. "And I miss having someone around who can empathize with my plight as the guy in a relationship."

Cody took the chance to tease his friend right back. "Hey, be glad that she still prefaces it by saying she still loves you. Once you get married, all the niceties are gone. Bailey just tells me to cram it nowadays..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Cody, Sweetie?"

"Yes, Honey?"

"Shut up!"

He sighed. "Yes, Dear..." Cody turned to Tapeworm. "See what I mean?"

Gertie smiled and turned to her old roommate. "Very nice. With you around, I'm always learning new ways to keep Dennis in line. You sure you guys can't stay another night here in New Haven? Its been so much fun having you guys back."

"I really wish we could, but we have to head back tonight. Not only do we have a cat who is expecting to be fed, but we need to spend all day tomorrow studying. Our gross anatomy final is now less than ten days away, and we need every available minute we have to prepare for it. We already know we won't get much done if any on Thursday, so we need to make up for that lost time as much as we can."

She nodded. "We can understand that. I still can't believe you guys aren't already out for break and still have classes through Wednesday."

Tapeworm took the moment to tease his friends again. "Well, if you ask me, its about time the scheduling gods finally gave you two the short end of the stick! I've been waiting for this moment for four years now!"

Cody sighed. "We know, but it gets worse. Our last new class of the semester, Human Genetics, begins the Tuesday after our final on Monday, and its final is three weeks later on Monday the 21st. Our Christmas break officially begins when we walk out of it, but we have to start back the spring semester on the first Monday in January. So, our entire winter break will only be thirteen days."

Bailey nodded. "And with us having to study all next weekend, we won't be able to begin our Christmas shopping on Black Friday like we normally do. So, on the way back to Boston, we're going to stop and do some browsing at that big factory outlet mall for ideas that we can order on line on Cyber Monday once we get out of our final."

Gertie cringed. "Okay, that really sucks!"

"Tell us about it. And after we go window shopping, we're going to go ahead and stop at a supermarket in the suburbs to buy everything we need to prepare stuff on Wednesday. That way, we don't have to worry about doing it on Tuesday night, and we can spend it studying even more."

Cody spoke up again. "To make things easier for us, we volunteered to host the meal this year, but we we're overwhelmingly outvoted. So, at the crack of dawn on Thursday, we have to load up our car with everything and head over to London's penthouse to begin cooking it. That should be a real hoot..."

Bailey shrugged. "At least we'll be able to get some studying done while the turkey and ham are cooking and before everyone else gets there."

But even though he empathized with his friends, Tapeworm couldn't help but to smile again. "That sucks for you guys and I feel for you, but again, its nice to know there is now balance in the force again."

Cody glared at him. "Did I mention we're also having a private screening of Episode VII that night thanks to Todd?"

Tapeworm's eyes went wide. "You are? Can we come?"

Gertie rolled her eyes. "No, we can't. We'll be in Maryland visiting with my family, remember?"

He sighed. "Oh yeah...Can't wait."

Gertie turned back to Bailey again. "You can ignore him. I think it'll be nice to have a well cooked meal again. Neither of us can cook worth a lick, so by now, we're really missing the Berkeley dining hall."

"To be honest, I miss it too. I know Cody can actually cook, but I miss how convenient it was. We never had to worry about fixing our meals then or worry about the clean up afterwards."

"Tell me about it..."

"I hope all the undergrads realize just how good they have it right now."

Gertie sighed again. "I doubt it. I mean, did we? And now being one of the older students on campus, its kind of weird now. All of the freshmen look so young this year. They all remind me of kids my brother's age..."

Tapeworm laughed again. "Gigi...Sweetheart...your brother is a freshman here this year."

"Exactly! That why it makes me feel so old! This is the first time he and I have both been at the same school at the same time!"

Bailey smiled. "I know the feeling. Knowing my youngest sister is a freshman in college now makes me feel old too. Fortunately, the medical campus is away from the main campus on the yard. We don't have to see too many undergrads these days."

"Speaking of siblings, how is Amy liking Harvard so far?"

"So far so good I think. She's already making friends and seems to be keeping up with the rigors of her schoolwork pretty well. I think she'll be just fine."

Gertie smiled. "She found herself a special guy yet?"

Bailey shrugged. "Not that I know of. I mean, she's never mentioned it to me if she has. Then again, she could have already met her perfect feller and not know it yet."

_Cody and Bailey's Townhouse, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving_

Even though Yale was officially on break, those at Harvard still had to go to class through Wednesday before they would be released for Thanksgiving. Fortunately for Cody and Bailey, their afternoon Patient/Doctor I class that afternoon had been cancelled, so they were done once their final gross anatomy lab of the semester let out. Figuring it would be best not to try to fix everything once they got home on empty stomachs, they decided to stop for a quick lunch on the way. However, when they finally got back to their place, they found Amy sitting on their front porch steps surrounded by several large bags waiting on them. And as they walked up closer to her, they could see the smirk she had on her face.

"Gee, thanks guys. It wasn't very nice of you two to make a girl sit outside for over a half hour with all of those ominous looking clouds overhead threatening to start snowing on me at any time..."

Bailey shrugged. "Our bad. But to be fair, we weren't expecting you to be here for another couple of hours, and you never called or texted us that you would be here earlier."

"Well, I didn't know until a little while ago that I would be. My English professor canceled our class this afternoon because I'm pretty sure she wanted to get a jump start on her holiday break. Luckily, Beth happened to be walking by the room we have class in and saw the note that was posted on the door. As long as we turned in our papers to her secretary by the time class was supposed to be over, everything would be cool. So, I went ahead and turned mine in as soon as possible before I headed back to my dorm to pack up all of my stuff. And voila, here I am." She smirked again. "Now that everything has been explained, can we go inside? I'm starting to get a little cold here!"

Cody and Bailey could only laughed as they unlocked and opened their front door. They were even nice enough to help Amy pull in some of her bags and carry them down stairs to the guest bedroom. And once she through everything on the bed, she turned to them again and smiled.

"I need to ask you guys a favor..."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, would you guys mind if I did some laundry while I was here? I was planning to yesterday, but the machines in my dorm started acting funny earlier this week and actually ate some girl's clothes the other day. We've been promised that they will be getting them replaced over break, but..."

Cody smiled. "Knock yourself out. The detergent and fabric softener are on the shelf over top of the washer and dryer, and we printed out the instructions on how to use them properly and taped them on the inside of the door to the laundry room."

Amy gave him a look. "Instructions? Don't they all operate pretty much the same way?"

He laughed. "You would think so, but you would be incorrect. One of the bright spots to having been a towel boy for three years is that I learned to appreciate the subtle differences and subtleties in all the various laundry machines."

Bailey just sighed. "Just go with it. Consider yourself lucky he isn't making you sit through his presentation on their proper usage. That was two hours of my life I'll never get back."

She just gave her sister a look. "Okay..."

"But, since you are going to use them, would you mind throwing into your load of colors a couple of shirts I bought for Cody and I last weekend?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Good, grab your load of colors, follow me upstairs, and I'll get them for you."

Bailey and Amy left to head upstairs while Cody was about to head up to the kitchen to begin work on the Thanksgiving feast. But before he could though, Albert jumped up on to the bed and meowed at him.

"Oh, hey Al. What's up?"

Al gave him a dirty look. _"What did you do with my bed and my litter box?"_

Cody grinned. "I told you I was going to do this a couple of weeks ago. Today is the day where C.J.'s dog, Rufus, is going to be our guest and stay with us. This morning, I moved your bed up to our home office so you'd still have your own room. And your litter box is up in our bathroom now too." He laughed. "But I would hope by now that you don't need it anymore..."

Al rolled his eyes. _"Dude...Using that bowl of water still seems weird to me. Plus, I used to drink out of it until I realized what you guys use it for!"_

"That may be so, but this way, you don't have to worry about getting kitty litter stuck to the bottom of your paws, do you?"

_"Touche, Cody...touche. Okay, just remember I'm being a good sport about this. I fully expect you to bring home some leftovers from tomorrow for me."_

"Consider it done. I'll bring you back some turkey and other things the vet has said you can safely have. But no macaroni and cheese. From what she tells me, cheese is not very good for cats." He paused. "Even though its made from milk which you seem to love..."

_"Hey, I'll take what I can get! Now, as for that dog, as long as it doesn't try to bother me, I'll be cool. But if he tries to sniff my butt, I won't be held responsible for my actions!"_

Back upstairs, Bailey helped her sister throw her first load into the washer before leading her inside of the master bedroom and over to her. As this was the first time Amy had really taken a good look it, her eyes went wide when she saw how big it really was.

"Your closet is almost as big as my dorm room!"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, but it was made larger than normal. It was London's way of trying to make up for her overtaking my closet back on the boat. Cody's even told me that if the closet he moved into back at the Tipton had been this big, he would have never moved back out of it."

"I can see why"

She reached down to pick up a bag on the floor of her closet and pulled out two long sleeve polo shirts. "Anyways, here are those shirts I was telling you about. Can you believe I actually got these on sale last week for five dollars a piece? What a bargain! And aren't these two just perfect for Thanksgiving? I also got us two other ones to wear on Christmas morning!"

Amy took a good look at them before trying to figure out how to answer her sister. "Ummm, well, they certainly are unique I guess. I mean, one of them is orange with yellow and brown stripes and the other one is brown with yellow and orange stripes. I guess those technically are the typical Thanksgiving colors..."

Bailey grinned. "I know, right? The orange one is mine and the brown one is Cody's."

"And he actually let you buy that for him? I seem to remember while on our tour of Brown's campus him muttering how much he hated the color brown.."

She paused. "Well, he used to hate it, but I think I've managed to get him to come around on it. He actually seems to like it quite a bit now."

Amy laughed. "Yeah? How did you pull that off?"

Turning away, Bailey decided to change the subject. "It doesn't really matter. I should let you get your laundry started while I head down to the kitchen to help Cody out."

"Works for me. I..." But Amy stopped dead in her tracks when something else in Bailey's closet caught her eye. On impulse, she reached out and pulled a hanger down from the rack. And once she realized what it actually was that was hanging from it, she turned to her sister and grinned. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

Bailey's eyes went wide as her cheeks began to turn red. "Uhhh...that's nothing. Don't worry about it!"

Amy began to laugh. "Nothing, huh? It sure does look like a French maid's outfit to me. I've seen the pictures, so I know this wasn't your Halloween costume. And I'm pretty sure you don't wear this when you two do your weekly house cleanings. Something tells me Cody would never be able to concentrate..."

Bailey sighed in defeat. "That was my penance for losing my bet with Cody. While we were in Paris for our honeymoon, he saw one of those in a store and really wanted to buy it for me. After his houndstooth bikini in high school, I said no. But, when we set the stakes for our bet about Albie, he chose that as what he wanted if he won. I didn't think he had any chance to win, so I agreed. Well, the joke was on me, and he did win..."

Amy laughed even harder. "Oh really? Hmmm...Seems like I learn something new about my dear brother-in-law everyday..."

She gave her a pleading look. "Can you please forget you ever saw it? I would be beyond embarrassed if anyone else were to find out about this."

"Oh, settle down, Bailey - you two are married now. Who cares what you two do with each other in the privacy of your own home...or what you choose to use to...liven things up." She grinned again. "But tell me this...How did Cody react to seeing you in it?"

Bailey blushed again, but she couldn't keep a small smile from forming on her face. "Well, he kind of had the look in his eyes that I imagine a starving lion would have when he saw a fat, disabled gazelle laying on the ground..."

"Let me guess...you were his dinner instead?"

"Something like that..." She paused and kept smiling. "I know he keeps telling me I'm the sexiest and most beautiful woman in the world, but seeing that look on his face, I could definitely tell he meant it. It feels really good to know that I can have that kind of effect on him. I know he really enjoyed it."

Amy shook her head again. "Oh please! I can tell by the look on your face that you enjoyed every minute of it too!"

She couldn't help but to giggle. "Okay, okay, guilty as charged."

"Hey, I don't need any more details, but I'm really happy for you, Sis. Your husband is a good guy who is not only in love with you but also in lust with you. You should consider yourself very lucky."

Bailey nodded. "I know just how truly lucky I am." She smiled. "I guess I didn't mind losing this bet after all."

Amy sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, sounds like you really lost. I think you won almost as much as Cody did..." She grinned. "So, was that just a one time thing or have you worn it multiple times now?"

Fortunately for Bailey, she was saved from having to answer her sister by the bell – the doorbell to be exact. She made a quick exit so she could head downstairs. But when she got there, she found Cody had already opened the door, and walked over to join him in the foyer. Standing on the other side of the door was C.J. with his one hand holding Rufus by the leash and the other hand holding a bag she assumed contained his food and some of his favorite toys while he held a large dog bed under his arm.

"I really appreciate you guys being willing to watch Rufus for me today."

Amy came out of nowhere and quickly took the leash from him. "Not a problem. Besides, I owe you one." She looked down at Rufus. "Besides, I know Rufus will be a perfect gentleman for us, won't you?"

He woofed and licked her hand as Bailey smiled. "Don't worry, he'll be well taken care of. You just have fun with your Dad tonight, and we'll see you tomorrow."

"I will. Thank you guys again, and I'll see you sometime early tomorrow afternoon."

Amy grinned. "Good. Now, go on and get out of here...Carroll."

C.J. rolled his eyes and laughed. "Will do, Carol." Of course, that exchange naturally caught Cody and Bailey's attention, and they just gave each other a look.

Amy noticed this and shook her head. "Just an inside joke guys. His first name is Carroll and my middle name is Carol. We're both part of a very selective group"

They both just shrugged as C.J. headed back to his car. They had more important things to do than give it any more thought as the Thanksgiving meal wasn't going to fix itself. And as they headed towards the kitchen, Amy knelt down next to Rufus.

"Tell you what. I need to go start the washing machine, but how about we go out for a walk once I do?"

Rufus barked again in approval, and She leaned in even closer and whispered to him. "And I haven't had lunch yet. What would you think about us stopping while we're out and grabbing a burrito?" And when she saw his tail begin wagging wildly, she laughed. "I take it you approve of that..."

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were up very early, well before the sun was up, and after they showered and dressed, they began loading up everything in preparation to head over to London's penthouse.

"Is everything packed into the car already?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we have four coolers full of dishes in the trunk ready plus both of our backpacks in the back seat. I'm ready to head out whenever you are. And its a good thing we're heading over so early. I serioulsy doubt will have any problem finding a free luggage cart at this hour."

Bailey laughed. "Very true. I'll just go let Amy know we're heading out then. Since she and C.J. seem to have inside jokes now, she can wait on him before coming over."

When she opened the door to their guest room, she was about to wake her sister up when she saw a sight that made her smile.

"Ummm, Cody...Sweetie...come take a look at this..."

Cody poked his head into the room and began chuckling when he saw his sister-in-law asleep – with Rufus laying behind her spooning her. "Well, well...what do we have here? Me thinks your Dad might be interested in hearing about this..."

Bailey grinned. "You're right! And not just him, everyone else too!" Quickly, she pulled out her cell phone out of her pocket and took several pictures with it. "Everyone will love to know that Amy has already found her a feller that she can curl up with at night..."

_London's Penthouse, Thanksgiving afternoon _

Once the turkey and ham were put in the oven, Cody and Bailey found themselves with a couple of hours of quiet time to actually get some studying done. However, about noon, most of the other attendees began showing up to end their tranquility. So, they closed up their books to focus on cooking the rest of the meal while everyone else began staking their claims to good seats in front of the television to watch football. While they would have like a little while longer to finish up a section, they really couldn't complain about the six interrupted hours they had gotten. By the time the Lions game was ending, a good portion of the dishes for the meal had been cooked and were ready for the meal that would be served at halftime of the Cowboys' game. And while they were putting the finishing touches on the final dishes, everyone else was mingling around and chatting as they waited for the proverbial dinner bell.

C.J managed to pull Amy to side. "I hate to keep asking, but are you sure Rufus wasn't a pain in the butt last night?"

Amy laughed. "For the hundredth time, I'm positive. While my sister and brother-in-law resumed studying up in their home office last night, Rufus and I plopped down on the couch to watch more TV. He was a perfect viewing companion. The only time he actually got agitated and barked was when I was flipping channels and he saw Honey Boo Boo on the screen."

He sighed. "Yeah, he really hates that show, but then again, I can't really blame him. I guess neither one of us can understand why that show is still so popular..."

"Well, that makes three of us then. But, I was able to find a movie on that he seemed to like, and he calmed down after that."

"Good. Now, he didn't cause any problems when it came time to go to bed, did he? He can be kind of a night owl."

She shook her head. "Not in the least. He was actually passed out on his bed before I fell asleep on mine..." She paused and began laughing. "Of course, when I woke up, he had managed to get up into bed with me. And you were right – he does like to hog the covers."

C.J. cringed. "Sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it. It was nice to spend an evening with a gentleman who knew how to treat a lady..." She paused again before smiling. "In fact, the only complaint I had about him was his awful morning breath..."

He laughed. "Tell me about it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any doggy Tic Tacs or Listerine."

"Well, he and I had a lot of fun together last night. If you ever need a dog sitter ever again, you know where to look."

Across the room, Zack and Maya were fixing themselves something to drink when Gabby cornered them by the drink table.

"Hey, do you guys have any idea what's wrong with Max? I picked her up again today, but she's been quiet ever since. It seems like something is really bothering her." She nodded over her shoulder. "And right now, she looks to be about a million miles away from here."

Maya shrugged. "Well, now that you mention it, she was acting kind of weird and keeping to herself yesterday at our appointment. But I don't know her well enough yet to try to pry and find out what;s up."

"Neither do I."

Both just nodded for a second before simultaneously turning their gazes towards Zack who had just lifted his drink to his lips. And upon seeing the looks on their faces, he sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll go see what I can find out."

So, he headed over to the couch and plopped down right next to Max. And after studying her for a minute seeing that she really did seem to be lost in thought, he decided to spring into action. After clearing his throat, he just spoke up.

"So, who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?"

Max paused for a second before frowning and turning to Zack. "What?"

"You heard me. You look ticked off at the world, and I want to know why."

She shook her head. "Zack, don't worry about it. Its nothing."

He gave her a look. "Oh come on! You and I have known each other for almost ten years now. We're friends, Max. Now, are you going to finally tell me what's bothering you or do I have to steal your crutches and wait for you to have to get up to go to the bathroom?"

She sighed. "You wouldn't understand..."

"Try me."

Seeing that he wasn't going to give up, Max hung her head. "Alright, fine. I had another appointment with my doctor yesterday. He chose then inform me that while my knee would eventually heal enough to let me live a normal life, he didn't think it would ever be strong enough again for me to resume my career as a professional dancer. So, you see, that little morsel of information has kind of put me in a bad mood!"

Zack frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, Max. That really sucks." He paused. "But, doctors don't always know everything. Maybe, you know, you could go get a second opinion?"

Max sighed again. "I already did. He brought in three other doctors into the room, and they all concurred with his diagnosis."

"Wow, that really blows..."

She smirked at him. "Yeah, it does! So, the career that I prepared for for my whole life and was doing well at is now over thanks to some bumbling idiot! I've got nothing now! I have no idea what I'm going to do now..." She hung her head and exhaled. "I told you that you wouldn't understand..."

He paused to think. "Maybe I do more than you think. You see, about four and a half years ago, I was in pretty much the same spot you are now. I had just graduated from high school, but I was looking at a life with no direction. And on top of that, my girlfriend had just broken up with me right before we graduated. So, I was pretty ticked off at life too knowing I didn't have any answers either..."

She just gave him a look a confusion. "But you're in Harvard Business School now..."

Zack nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I am. And I have London to thank for that. She gave me the kick in the butt back then that I needed. She got me into Beacon Hill Community College, and a year later, into Boston University. Plus, she also gave me a job that I've really taken to and can do well. She refused to let me wallow in my own self pity, and I will be eternally grateful to her for that. Looking back, I too thought my life was over, but all that was really over was that chapter in my life. Since then, I've written several new ones, and not to brag, but I think they keep getting better and better."

"So, what's your point?"

He laughed. "My point is that its time for to pay it forward. London gave me the kick in the butt I needed, so I'm going to do the same thing for you. Max, you may think you have nothing right now, but you couldn't be more wrong. Look around you. You're surrounded by your friends. Plus, I know of couple of more people down at Yale who you know are there for you too."

Max paused. "Well, I guess that's true. But what do I do now?"

"That's completely up to you. While you finish up your rehab, you have plenty of time to figure that out. Heck, if you want a job, I have some pull at London Inns and can probably get you one there."

She smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think I'm meant for a desk job."

"Well, Beacon Hill seems to think highly of me too. I mean, I'm proof that one of their students can end up going to Harvard. Why don't you take some classes there next semester and see if you find anything that interests you?"

She paused to consider that. "I don't know. Its been over four years since I've taken a class of any kind. I don't know if I could get back into being a student after so long..."

Upon hearing that, Maya, who had been standing behind them eavesdropping, spoke up. "I had a year off from school too before I went back. It does take you a little while to get back into the flow of things, but I'm proof that its possible."

And Gabby who was standing next to her, spoke up too. "And I know the situation you're in right now better than anyone. My injury ended my career too. But its like what my grandmother always told me – when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when one door closes, another one opens up. So, I've focused my energy into becoming a doctor and hopefully helping out athletes much like myself someday. Just because you won't be a professional dancer anymore doesn't mean you still can't stay around it in some capacity."

Zack nodded. "That's true. You could always teach dance or something like that. Heck, I know there's a place here in Boston called the Boston Conservatory that does just that. Last January, Maya, Bailey and Cody dragged me to see one of their performances of the Nutcracker." He paused. "Thankfully, it wasn't quite what the title made it out to be..."

Max laughed. "Yeah, I've done that one before myself..." She paused and thought again. "Maybe you guys are right?"

He grinned. "I usually am."

Maya laughed. "Yeah, most of the time, I just let him think that, but this time, he actually is."

"I'll give it some thought then."

"Good. And if you need anything, feel free to ask us. We're all here for you."

"I really appreciate that. Thank you." Max smiled again and elbowed Zack. "Okay, what the hell has happened to you? This new grown up and mature Zack Martin is kind of freaking me out!"

He sighed. "Tell me about it..."

_To be Continued..._


	14. Lizzie Borden Took an Ax

_Chapter 14_

_"Lizzie Borden Took an Ax"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Bailey and Cody's Townhouse, Monday, December 21, 2015_

Even though it was still only three o'clock that afternoon, Cody and Bailey could only slump back into their couch as they both were completely exhausted. But that was to be expected as they both gad already been up for eleven hours as they had set their alarm clock for four o'clock that morning. Even though it was to be the final day of their first semesters of medical schools, they had extremely busy days. Once they showered and dressed, they spent another couple of hours in concentrated study mode before heading over to their testing room. And after reviewing their notes and outlines one final time, they took a deep breath as their Human Genetics final was passed out to everyone at 8:00 sharp that morning. While they felt well prepared for it, it was still a test of endurance to finish it in the four hours they were given. And once it was finally over at noon, they turned in their exams before biding a Merry Christmas and safe trip home to Gabby and C.J. who both had flights out to Phoenix and San Francisco respectively that afternoon.

But once they did finally get home, there was no rest for the weary. Immediately, Cody began doing the laundry they would need for the next week while Bailey began wrapping the remaining unwrapped Christmas presents and boxing them up to take with them to Kettlecorn the next day. So, needless to say, when they both finally finished everything by three o'clock, both were more than ready for a break.

As they sat there on the couch, Bailey turned to Cody and sighed. "Are we close to being ready?"

Cody nodded. "The last load is in the dryer as we speak. Everything else we're taking with us has been folded and ready to pack up once the last load is done. How about our presents for everyone?"

"All wrapped up and put in our box along with all of Amy's as well. Fortunately, with a little creativity, I was able to fit them all into just one big box. So, that's done and taken care of..."

"Sounds good to me. What time are we supposed to pick up her and Beth up anyways?"

She stopped to think. "Their last final is over at four and they have to be out of their dorm by five. So, we're supposed to be outside of Apley Court right at five. From there, we need to get Beth over to Logan so she can catch her flight out at 8:00."

He sighed. "Oh goody. Driving all the way across town through rush hour traffic. That should be fun..."

"Tell me about it. And since our flight out tomorrow is at 10:30 AM, we'll get to hit morning rush hour traffic when we leave here by 7:00. Fortunately, we just have to make it to the Tipton, and let its airport shuttle handle the rest of it and then drop us off."

"I say we call it a night early tonight, Sweetie. I don't know about you, but I think I've only gotten like a total of fifteen hours sleep the past three nights. And once we get back to Kettlecorn, that stupid rooster won't let us sleep in any then..."

Bailey let out a weak laugh. "Sounds like a plan to me, Cody Bear. Plus, it will be nice to get one last good night sleep in our own bed before we have a week on that lumpy fold out sofa."

"Look at it this way - at least your Dad won't be constantly checking on us anymore to make sure we're behaving ourselves."

"That's very true. Now that we're married, I don't think he cares what we do now. Anyways, it sounds like we're ready for tomorrow..." She paused when something else crossed her mind. "You think we'll have any trouble slipping the tranquilizer the vet gave us into Al's food in the morning?"

Cody smiled to himself. "I don't think that'll be a problem at all, Bails..." He yawned. "But I think a nap right now sounds really good. I've already set the alarm on my cell phone for 4:30 just in case."

She yawned too. "Sounds good to me." She snuggled up closer to him, and that's when another thought occurred to her. Smiling to herself, she decided to tease her husband. "Then again, maybe it doesn't. Now that I think about it, I don't like it all. I mean, we've only been married a little over five months, and you're already tired of me?"

That caught his attention and he turned to look at her. "Huh? What are you talking about"

She smiled at him. "Well, this is the last couple of hours we'll have to ourselves for the next week. And all you want to do right now is to sleep. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Cody gave her a look. "Okay, for one, you initially said it sounded good to you too. For another, you really want to know how tired of you I am right now?"

"Uh huh..."

He grinned. "What does this tell you?" And just like that, he pounced on her, pinned her down to the couch and began nibbling on her earlobes. "Does this answer that question for you or should I continue until you're convinced?"

Bailey laughed. "Okay, okay, you've convinced me! Its nice to know I don't need a French maid outfit to get that kind of reaction out of you..."

"And you never will! I'd like to think of that as the cherry on top of the sundae..." He paused. "Hmmm...I wonder if we have any whip cream or chocolate syrup..."

She laughed again. "Uh uh. We wouldn't have time to grab another shower and clean up again before we had to leave."

"You may have a point there..."

She teased him again. "Though, you did just compare me to a sundae. Trying to tell me I'm frigid?"

Cody laughed. "Uh uh. Quite the opposite actually. But, the metaphor worked for what I was trying to say. Now, if I may return back to it without any further recriminations, you are..." He kissed her neck. "...the most succulent..." He kissed the other side of her neck. "...the most delicious..." He kissed her lips. "...most delectable thing I've ever tasted..."

She grinned. "That's more like it, Sir Chef..."

"And on top of that..."

Bailey interrupted him. "Cody?"

"Oui, mon cher?"

"Just shut up and kiss me again!"

He grinned again. "With pleasure!" And with that, he leaned down to ravish her again. Unfortunately, before he was too far along, they both heard the unmistakable sound of their doorbell ringing. Both pulled back and groaned. "Seriously? Again? I thought we were immune from interruptions like this in the privacy of our own home! "

Cody sighed. "You and me both. Whoever it is, I'll get rid of them ASAP..."

Forcing himself to get up, Cody staggered over to the door. He had no clue who was on the other side daring to put their alone time to a halt, but he vowed that he would have a few choice words for anyone that happened to be there trying to spread the good word to him. But when he opened their front door, he was surprised when he saw was was actually standing there. And before he could say anything, he felt two arms engulf him in a hug. When the older woman finally pulled back, she smiled at him. "I've come all this way, and you have nothing to say to me?"

He shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, Mimi, but you were the last person I expected to see on our doorstep. I didn't think you were going to arrive in Boston until Wednesday..."

"Well, that was my original plan, but something came up that required me to come early."

"Is everything okay?"

Mimi smiled. "I think so. Now, are you going to invite me in to finally see your place or you going to leave me out in the cold?"

"D'oh! My bad! Come on in!" He lead her into their living room. "Look who stopped by to visit us, Bails. Its my grandmother..."

Immediately, Bailey hopped up off the couch to hug her as well. "Its so good to see you again, Mimi! We had no idea you were stopping by. If we did, we wouldn't have been on the couch...taking a nap."

She just looked back and forth between them. "Uh huh. If Cody didn't have lipstick smudges on his face, I might be inclined to believe that story, but I don't!"

Cody and Bailey looked back and forth at each other trying to think of what to say, but before they could come up with a plausible excuse, Mimi began laughing. "Oh, settle down! You two are married now and are leaving tomorrow to spend the next week with Bailey's family. I'm pretty sure you two were just taking advantage of the last alone time you'll have for a little while."

Bailey gave her a confused look. "How did you know that?"

Mimi grinned. "I was your age once myself. Anyways, I just wanted to stop by and see if you two were available to meet us all for dinner tonight over at the Tipton."

"Yeah, of course." She paused. "Would you mind if we brought..."

She cut her off. "Your sister with you? I insist you do. She's been going through finals too and probably in need of a good meal herself. How does eight o'clock sound? That'll get you back here in time to get some sleep before you have to head out yourself tomorrow."

"Sounds perfect to us."

"Good." She paused when she saw their Christmas tree. "An artificial one, huh? For some reason, I had you two pegged for a real one. I guess I was wrong about that one..."

Bailey spoke up again. "Actually, we went back and forth on whether or not to get a real or a fake one. In the end, we couldn't justify cutting down a tree just to put it in our living room for a few weeks before we had to throw it away."

Cody nodded. "Plus, this one is made out of 100% recycled material."

Mimi couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, now that does sound exactly like something you two would do. It makes perfect sense now that I think about it." She nodded again at the tree. "And I love the ornaments you have on there. Nice blend of nice store bought and homemade ones."

Bailey smiled. "I think so too. Plus, Cody surprised me a week ago with an early Christmas present." She pointed out to one of the ornaments in particular. "Its an 'Our First Christmas Together' one. I absolutely love it."

Cody nodded. "Though, its not entirely accurate. This will be our first Christmas married, but actually, we've spent the past five together in one form or another."

"Well, its beautiful nonetheless. I do have to ask though – you have a Yale ornament on one side of the tree and a Harvard one on the other..." Mimi laughed. "Afraid those two will get in a fight with each other?"

"Trying to prevent that just in case..."

Just then, Albert walked into the room. And when he saw there was someone new he didn't recognize, he sauntered over to investigate. And upon seeing him, Mimi knelt down to pet him.

"So, this must be my first great grandchild that I've heard so much about." She spoke to Al. "Well, you are definitely a handsome fellow, you know that?"

Al meowed up at her, and Cody began laughing. "He says you're not so bad yourself, Mimi."

Bailey shook her head. "You'll have to excuse Cody. He likes to joke around and act like he and Albie can actually understand each other."

Mimi smiled. "That would be nice if you could. You're already in medical school. You could be a real life Dr. Doolittle."

_Zack and Maya's Suite at the Tipton_

A little after four o'clock that afternoon, Zack managed to drag himself out of the elevator and stumble over to the front door of his and Maya's suite. Less than an hour ago, he too had turned in and walked out of his final and by far most grueling exam of the semester. And again like his brother and sister-in-law, he was also only operating on a few hours sleep. Fortunately for him, his caffeine boost from the numerous energy drinks he had drank that day hadn't worn off until he was on the subway ride home. And for that, he was glad. Zack knew Maya would give him a lecture about how bad those could be for you, and he was happy to avoid that. So, once he got inside, he immediately headed for his couch and collapsed into it. Zack was about to drift off into nap time himself when there was a knock at his suite door as well. Groaning, he got up to answer it, and like Cody had been an hour previously, he was shocked to see his grandmother standing there smiling at him.

"Well, aren't you happy to see me? Aren't you going to say something?"

"Mimi? What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to pick you up at the airport on Wednesday?"

She laughed as she pulled him into a hug. "You were, but I came a few days early to take care of a few things." She pulled back and teased him. "You know, Zack, for as much as you claim you and your brother are total opposites, I got the exact same surprised response from him that I did from you."

"If you say so. You just happened to catch me about to take a nap on the couch. I just got out of my last final not too long ago."

Mimi laughed again. "Yeah, that's the same story Bailey tried to sell me, but the lipstick smudges on Cody's face told me otherwise."

Zack shuddered. "Please! That's a mental image I don't want in my brain!"

She gave him a look. "Uh huh...Something tells me if Maya had been here when you got home, I might have been two for two in walking in on something. Where is she by the way? She have a final today too?"

"Nah, her last one was on Saturday afternoon. But, she still has appointments today and tomorrow before the fit&rec center closes for a few days for the holidays."

Mimi smiled. "They better be careful down there. Before long, she's going to be running that place. Or if she decides to go somewhere else when she graduates, she already has a top notch reputation and their clientele to take with her."

"Yeah, she's really good at what she does. A couple of months ago, I was under her care after a day of rowing." He yawned. "Even though I was completely sore, I was back to normal in just a couple of days."

"Glad to hear that. And since I can tell how tired you are now, I'll say my piece and let you get back to your nap. Are you and Maya available to join all of us for dinner tonight downstairs?"

He paused to think. "Should be. I'll just send Maya a text and let her know whats going on."

"Good." She smiled again. "Before I leave you to let you nap, have you been thinking about what our annual chat will be about this year?"

Zack laughed. "Actually, Mimi, I can't think of anything right now. Everything is going great in my life. School is a lot of work, but its not as bad as I had feared. And everything is going well with Maya too. We've never been closer or more in love."

"Well, you keep thinking about it. And if you can't think of anything, that's okay. While I'll miss it, I'll be even happier knowing it won't be necessary." Mimi paused and grinned. "So, speaking of how well everything is going between you two, am I close to having a second granddaughter-in-law?"

He just gave her a look. "Mimi..."

"Yes?"

He sighed. "We've discussed it and have decided that you won't have another daughter-in-law until we're both done with school. So as it looks, we're a couple of years away from anything at the earliest."

"I can certainly understand that." She grinned again. "I just like bragging about all of you to my friends back in Seattle. With you, Cody and Bailey all at Harvard and Maya going for a doctorate degree as well, I have..." She paused and laughed. "...well, I think you young people call it 'street cred' among all of my friends."

Zack laughed too. "I'm glad we can help."

"Okay, I'll let you get a nap now." She paused to look around before she left. "How come you two don't have your place decorated for Christmas yet? Cody and Bailey's place looks very festive and they won't even be in town for Christmas."

He shrugged. "We haven't had the time to do anything yet. We've both been swamped lately with work and finals."

Mimi nodded. "I can understand that too." She paused and grinned. "You say Maya has to work tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"How would you like to have your grandmother's help in earning you a ton of brownie points with your girlfriend?"

Zack paused to think. "I'm listening..."

_The Tipton Dining Room, later that evening_

That evening, the party of eight of Amy, Bailey, Cody, Zack, Maya, Mimi, Carey and Arwin all met up in the lobby of the Tipton a little before their reservation at eight o'clock. Of course, while they were waiting to be seated, the two twins couldn't help but to again remind the perennially pretentious maitre'd, Patrick of how well they were doing with their lives as compared to the fact that he was in the same job he had been in ten years ago. That seemed to light a fire underneath him as suddenly, their table became available, and he quickly seated them. After everyone perused the menus and ordered, Carey looked around the table and smiled.

"So, I'm betting all of you are glad that your fall semesters are finally over, huh?"

"You can say that again, Mom. I don't even want to think about Genetics again for a long, long time..."

Mimi smiled. "Well, I bet you guys learned some fascinating things in that class though."

Bailey nodded. "That is true. We now know that with my blood type being O negative and Cody's being AB negative, all of our children will either be A negative or B negative. And with us both having negative RH factor, we won't have to worry about my body creating antibodies if a baby happened to have a positive RH factor. I know they have shots now that alleviate the concern, but its nice to know its not an issue with us. This is one time that us both having recessive genes will come in handy."

Zack laughed. "Ha! I always knew you two were genetic freaks!"

Cody gave his brother a look. "Ummm...Zack...you and I are identical twins. We share the exact same genetic code. So, whatever recessive genes I have, so do you. And this should be something you're aware of - we're both AB negative which is the rarest of the ABO blood types. Only one percent of the population has the same blood type as us. So, I would advise you to build up as much karma as you can and donate blood as often as you can."

He paused. "Well, I always knew you were a source of spare organs if I needed them, but I guess you're a source of spare blood too. So, do go cutting yourself shaving too often. I may need that blood someday!"

Cody sighed. "Yeah, that's the point I was trying to make here."

Maya ignored the twins and turned to Bailey. "What does that mean for me with an A positive blood type? I mean, I always thought it was cool to have an A+ in something, but I never gave a thought to what it could really mean."

"You shouldn't have anything to worry about either. A lot of it depends on if you are A positive based on being a plus plus or a plus minus. If you are a plus plus, then your kids will be either A positive or AB positive. If you are a plus minus, they could be either RH positive or negative. But like I said, that's something you would have to tell your doctor, and he or she can give you a shot that will alleviate any potential concerns. Those things are given to moms to be every day."

"That's good to know."

Zack shook his head. "Can we change the subject to something not about what we learned in class or something several years down the line? How about we all revel in the fact that I don't have to go to class again until January 25th. I really need a break after this semester."

Amy nodded. "You can say that again..."

Maya sighed. "Unfortunately for me, BU starts back on the 19th, the Tuesday before that. Their being nice in giving us MLK Jr. Day off on the 18th and then its back to the grind for us Terriers."

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other and both rolled their eyes. "Oh please! Don't any of you look to us for any sympathy at all! We wish we had almost a month off before we start back again!"

She nodded. "Exactly! We start back on the 4th! Our total semester break is only thirteen days! And even better, while we start back first, our spring semester won't end until the middle of June!"

Zack laughed. "Well, sucks to be you guys then! I always knew there was karma – all of your cake schedules from Yale are finally coming back to bite you in the butts!"

Carey shook her head. "Now, now everyone. Its almost Christmas, so lets not be a bunch of Scrooges. Anyways, its nice to have everyone together in one place before everyone heads off into their various directions." She paused and turned to Zack and Maya. "Speaking of which, I haven't heard if Maya's parents will be joining us again this year for Christmas or not..."

Maya shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. There going to be in Los Angeles on Christmas Day. But, they're going to be back in New York for New Year's, so we're going to head back down there then and see them."

"Oh yeah? Heading back out to Times Square again?"

Zack quickly shook his head. "Uh uh! Been there and done that. Besides, they are calling for another Noreaster to hit the eastern seaboard a couple of days before New Year's."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we're going to keep our eye on it too. If it looks like it will come ashore sooner, we'll have to catch an earlier flight back."

Mimi smiled. "You two have big plans for New Years yourselves?"

Bailey smiled back. "Sort of. We told Maddie and Trevor we would babysit little Zoey that night so that they could go out on the town with London and Todd. Besides, if the storm is as bad as they fear, I'll be more than happy to stay at home where we can build a fire to stay warm."

Zack laughed again. "You two babysitting? No offense, but neither one of you has a good track record when it comes to watching kids. Codester, if I were you, I'd make sure all the duct tape is safely hidden away"

"We know, but we're hoping to change our luck in that regard. Besides, we think it will be good practice for us down the road when we have children of our own."

Carey sighed. "Speaking of which and after that talk of blood types you all just had, I'm sure I don't have to tell you all again that..."

Zack, Maya, Bailey and Cody all spoke up at the same time. "We know, you're not ready to be a grandmother yet..."

Carey frowned. "Okay, I'm guessing I tend to say that a lot..."

"Yeah, Mom...you do."

Trying to change the subject, Arwin stood up. "Ummm...How about I go get pick us out a good bottle of wine for us to drink with our dinner? And...ummm...Zack, Cody, would you two mind giving me a hand?"

The twins shrugged and followed Arwin over to the bar area. And once they got there, Zack grinned. "I don't know why you need our help, Arwin. Its not like either one of us is a wine connoisseur. I'm lucky to know the difference in a Cabernet and a Burgundy..."

Cody smirked at him. "You're lucky to know the difference in a red and a white..."

Arwin shook his head. "Actually, I asked you both to come with me because there's something else I need to talk to you both about..."

_Kettlecorn_

Late the next afternoon, Clyde, Eunice and Grammy Pickett were all sitting around the living room of the farmhouse trying to stay warm while a cold, biting wind howled and blew all of the snow outside around. Fortunately for them, they had had everything done outside that needed to be done until they had to head out to feed the animals again in a little while. But there period of solace was interrupted in a single instant as they suddenly felt a chill, and all three of them immediately turned to see that the front door was wide open. And a few seconds later, they saw two figures in hooded coats quickly come inside and close the door behind them. Once the two cloaked individuals were inside, they removed their hoods and everyone saw it was Bailey and Amy.

Eunice smiled. "Welcome home, girls!"

"Good to be home, Momma."

Clyde paused. "Aren't we missing someone though?"

Bailey smiled. "Oh, Cody's still getting everything out of the trunk of the car. He's doing that while we let Al out in the barn so he can see his brothers and sisters. So, he should be in here shortly."

Clyde got up. "Knowing the way you girls pack, I should probably go help him..." But by the time he grabbed his coat and opened the door, he saw another hooded figure climbing the steps with numerous bags hanging off each shoulder and carrying a large cardboard box in his hands. Clyde could only chuckle. "Come on in, Cody."

Not needing to be told twice, that's what he did. And once inside, Cody finally sat everything down and removed his hood as well. "Thanks. Good to be back indoors and finally feel my toes again."

"I have to admit. The boy I met six years ago couldn't have done what I just saw. That was quite the load you were carrying."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "It wasn't all that much, Daddy. I'm pretty sure I had to tote more than that when London and I went to visit her Khun Yai in Thailand..."

He laughed again. "I see married life is treating you both well."

Cody shrugged. "Pretty much. Though, I'm pretty sure this weather followed us all the way here from Boston. It was snowing there when we left, it was snowing when we landed in Tulsa, and it kept snowing on us all the way here."

Clyde nodded. "Yeah, its supposed to stay like this through the day after Christmas." He laughed again and teased his son-in-law. "But, I have no problems blaming you again for bringing this weather to us..."

Eunice smiled. "Just ignore him. And before you pick up your bags again, we have a surprise for you this year. About a month ago, Clyde and some of the other boys finished a sewing room for me off of the den. We put one of those futon things you told us about in there, so you two will have your own room will some privacy this year."

Cody picked back up his and Bailey's bags. "Cool. Lead the way, and I'll go ahead and drop these off in there then right now."

Clyde lead him to the newest addition to the farmhouse, and once inside, he turned to Cody and whispered. "I'm glad your here now. I told Eunice this was going to be a sewing room for her, but I've also bought her a new laptop for Christmas to have in here too. I don't know much about those things, so I was kind of hoping..."

Cody grinned. "If you can find a way to sneak it in here on Christmas Eve, I'll set it up and have it ready to go by the next morning."

"Sweet. I have it hidden at Missy and Kevin's house right now, but I'll have him drop it off on Christmas Eve."

Once they finally returned to the living room, they quickly discovered that the four women were deep in a conversation about something and everything. So, both just took spots next to their wives and tried to play catch up as best as they could.

"So, what were you ladies talking about?"

Grammy spoke up. "Oh, we were just asking the girls about school and their finals."

Eunice grimaced. "Though, we did ask Bailey to refrain from telling us more about their gross anatomy class until after dinner. I thought that would be best." She turned to Cody and Bailey. "I still don't see how you guys were able to go to lunch immediately after that class everyday."

Bailey laughed. "Well, for the first couple of weeks, we ate a lot of soups, salads and pastas. After that though, we gradually got used to it enough so that it didn't affect our appetites any more."

Cody nodded. "By now, we're completely oblivious to it. I know that sounds kind of bad in some ways, but staying as detached as possible is the best avenue to take."

"Probably good idea." Clyde turned to his youngest. "And how are you like living up in Boston, Honey? You and your roommate getting along alright?"

Amy smiled. "Yeah, Daddy, Beth and I actually get along great. Of course, we were both raised on farms, so we had that in common." She paused. "Of course, they raised thoroughbred racehorses on hers."

"Oh yeah? They ever win anything big with one of them?"

"He family has won the Preakness twice and the Belmont once, but since they're from Kentucky, they say those don't really mean anything without a Derby win. But they have hope that one of their colts will get that one next May. In fact, her family has invited me to come see their farm over spring break. I can't wait!"

Clyde gave Amy a look. "The girl who hated life on this farm can't wait to see another one?" He shook his head. "Unbelievable..."

Amy laughed. "It'll be alright, Daddy. From the pictures I've seen, those horses live better than a lot of people around here. I think it'll be interesting to see it firsthand."

Eunice turned back to Bailey and Cody. "What about you two? Any spring break plans yourselves?"

Cody shrugged. "Not for the whole week. We'll probably be ready for a week of doing nothing by then. However, we do have a small trip planned the first weekend of it though..."

"Oh yeah? Where to? Someplace special?"

Bailey grinned. "Oh yeah! A couple of years ago, we put our names on a list to try to get reservations at this Bed & Breakfast down in Fall River, Massachusetts. We got the call a few weeks ago that our turn finally came up!"

Eunice frowned again. "A couple of years? What kind of place is this with such a long waiting list?"

Her eyes lit up in excitement. "Well, the B&B is located in the house that Lizzie Borden used to live in with her family! They say its actually haunted! After we saw this special on it a few years ago, I've wanted to go there ever since!"

Clyde shook his head. "Wait a minute...you two are willingly going and actually looking forward to staying in a place where two people were hacked to death with an axe?"

"Uh huh!"

He turned to his son-in-law. "You too?"

Cody just smiled. "Well, Bailey wanted to go, so we're going..."

"Well, at least it seems like you've already got this married thing down. But aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

Cody and Bailey just looked at each other and laughed. "Actually, by now...the idea of a paranormal experience doesn't bother us in the least. To paraphrase a popular line around here, it won't be our first rodeo..."

Amy shook her head. "See? This is what I keep telling everyone! Those two aren't normal!"

_Zack and Maya's Suite_

After another long and grueling day at work, Maya finally arrived back on the 23rd floor. With her semester officially over, she had been working full shifts at the fit&rec center and was glad to finally have some time off to do absolutely nothing. At that particular moment, all she wanted to do was go slip into her pajamas and plop down on the couch and either watch some television or maybe take a nap. But as soon as she opened the door to their suite, she instantly knew something was different.

"What the..."

From his spot on the couch, Zack smiled. "What do you think?"

Maya could only look around in surprise. Where that morning had been their normal, plain suite had been replaced by a festively decorated one for the holiday season. There was a Christmas tree tastefully decorated as well as other accoutrements that caused her to smile and laugh.

"Zack...what did you do? I'm taking it you didn't sit around all day and do nothing like I had figured..."

He kept grinning. "Mimi and I felt this place needed some sprucing up for the holidays. So, again, what do you think?"

"I love it!" She kept walking around looking at everything until she got to one decoration that caused her to laugh. It was a little Santa Claus that would dance about before he would turn around, drop his pants and moon you. "This one is particularly interesting..."

Zack laughed. "What can I say? Mimi saw it and instantly had to buy it. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistent..."

"Something tells me it was the other way around, but I think everything is absolutely perfect." She looked around again and shook her head. "I can't believe you did all of this..."

"Well, I like to keep you on your toes."

"That you do. And this was definitely what I needed after the day I had today."

He frowned. "Did something happen at work?"

Maya walked over and sat down next to him. "Not at work, but I did get some bad news today."

"Yeah? What kind of bad news? Is it your parents?"

"No, nothing like that." She sighed. "Turns out one of the professors in the department has decided to retire at the end of school year and gave his notice today."

Zack was confused. "Okay...Was he one of your favorite professors or something?"

"No, I've actually never taken a class with him before. But he was supposed to teach a class I needed and planned on taking next fall. And the only other person who teaches it only teaches it in the spring..."

"Okay, you've lost me here. What's the exact problem?"

"I really needed to take that class next fall so I could graduate the following spring. I would try to rearrange my schedule and take it next semester, but there is another class I was planning on taking that is a mandatory prerequisite for it. So, my long term schedule has been thrown off now that I'll have to take it next spring. And to make things even worse, that class is a mandatory prerequisite for my final internship class I need to take to graduate. So, now, I won't be able to take that class until the Fall of 2017 and graduate that December at the earliest..."

Zack frowned as he realized the implications. "Okay, that really sucks!"

Maya shrugged. "It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it."

He paused to think. "You know, maybe it won't be all bad after all? Maybe there are some benefits to this happening?"

She gave him a look. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Well, it sounds like your final semester will just be you doing your final internship. Sounds like a pretty...easy last semester."

"Well, I guess that's true."

"Plus, with you graduating in December, that could be be very advantageous."

"You think?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, the fit&rec center has to know you won't be there forever. Maybe with you interning there your last semester, they'll realize how invaluable you are and make you a full time offer to keep you. Even if they don't and you have to begin looking for another job, there will be less graduates in December to compete with at the time which should make finding a full time position easier."

Maya nodded. "That is a good point."

"Or it could be like Mimi said. You'll have an extra semester to figure out what it is you really want to do. Maybe by the time its over, you'll want to strike out on your own and hang your own shingle? I mean, with all of your Dad's contacts, you'll have a massive leg up on everyone else."

She sat there thinking. "Go out on my own? Hmm...I never considered that before. I just kind of figured I'd end up working for a pro team or a university or something like that."

"Well, you can do that if its what you want to do." Zack laughed. "Though, I'd be leery about you working for one of the Boston pro teams. You might try to sabotage them..."

Maya laughed too. "Maybe I would just to see you melt down..." She shook her head and yawned. "But I have a couple of years to think about that. Right now, I just want to sit here and do nothing for a while."

"We can do that. That happens to be a specialty of mine." He grinned. "Or if you want, I can get up, do a dance for you and then moon you!"

_Kettlecorn_

Fortunately for Cody, Bailey and Amy, not everyone in the family came over to see them that night. After the past several days, everyone was looking forward to calling it a night early and getting some rest. Besides, all of the relatives were planning on showing up tomorrow, and they would need all of their strength for that. So, about ten o'clock, Cody and Bailey are finally preparing for bed. After changing into their pajamas, they folded down the futon and put sheets, pillows, and a blanket on the mattress.

"You know, for all the years we had one of these in our dorm at college, I think this is the first time we'll actually be spending the night on one."

Cody paused to think. "I think you're right. We've napped on our old one numerous times, but this will be the first time we are intentionally using as a pseudo bed."

Bailey smiled. "Plus, it will be nice to have some privacy where everyone won't be walking by us in the morning and potentially waking us up. And, we can spoon with each other without worrying about someone saying anything about it. It'll just be you and me in here tonight."

Of course, that made Cody stop and think again. "Will it though? Should we check on Al and make sure he doesn't want to sleep indoors? I mean, he's grown quite accustomed to that now since he's been living with us, and after how far he and I have come, I don't want a relapse because we accidentally left him out in the barn..."

"Good point. The last thing we want is a frozen, ticked off kitty..."

Cody grabbed the sweatshirt he had been wearing. "I'll be right back then."

So, after Cody slipped on his slippers and grabbed his coat, he made his out to the barn and began trying to find Al by calling out to him. "Al? Al? Where are you?"

The response he got was not what he was expecting though. "What are you doing, Cody?"

Turning around, he saw his father-in-law giving him a funny look. "Oh, I was just looking for Albert. Bailey and I didn't want him to be upset with us if we left him out here in the barn overnight."

Clyde just shook his head and laughed. "You two have really citified that critter..." He paused. "Though, after hearing about his response to you neutering him, I can't say I blame you for wanting to stay on his good side."

"Tell me about it! But, he and I have come a long way since then. And yeah, we've definitely made him a house cat in more ways than one. Al even enjoys watching television now too."

"He does?"

"Yeah, mostly Animal Planet, but he seems to love cartoons too for some reason. In fact, one day, I saw him hissing at Jerry after he had foiled one of Tom's plans once again."

Clyde nodded. "Yeah, I hate that little mouse myself." He paused. "Of course, we've got another one of the cats who wants to come in the house now so bad its not even funny. I have no idea why, but I guess I'll never understand those little furballs..." He shrugged. "Oh well, its cold out here, so I'm heading back inside. Make sure you close the barn door when you come back inside."

And with that, Clyde headed out. Being alone again, Cody resumed looking for Al, and after a few minutes, he finally found him over in a corner of the barn.

"There you are. I wanted to make sure you were okay before we called it a night. Bailey and I didn't want you to get upset if we left you out here in the cold."

Al laughed. _"I appreciate that, but I'm okay staying out here tonight."_ He paused. _"Besides, I think my little sister would feel better if I stayed out here with her."_

"Is she okay?"

"_I don't think so. Its kind of like you told me. She encountered a coyote one night and barely made it back here to the barn with her life. Since then, she refuses to come out of the safety of the barn, and I can't say I blame her. Allie thinks she'll run into another one and not be so lucky next time..."_

Cody couldn't help but laugh. "Your sister's name is Allie?"

Al frowned._ "Yeah, it is! What's so funny about that?"_

"Oh, come on. Her name is Allie and she is a cat? You know, Allie cat...alley cat?"

"_I don't get it..."_

Cody shook his head. "Nevermind. You think she is going to be alright?"

"_I don't know." _He paused. _"I was thinking though...maybe she could come back to the city with us? That way, she would never have to worry about one of those ugly coyotes ever again. And I've told her about the things you told me about living in a city, and I could see how much she would love that..."_

"You really think so?"

_"Yeah, I do. And, Cody, if you would help out my sister like this, you and I will forever be cool. I'll definitely owe you a big one, and so will my sister."_

He paused as he thought of something. "Does she know that she would have to make a visit to the vet herself?"

"_She said if it meant feeling safe again, she would make that trade off in a heartbeat. So, will you help my baby sister?"_

Cody paused. "Well, I guess it would be okay with me. After all, it would give you someone to hang out with during the day while we're gone..."

Al purred. "_Thanks man!"_

"Hold on there for a second though. I'll still have to ask Bailey about this though first before anything is definite. I don't think she'll mind, but I will have to run it past her first."

Al gave him a funny look. _"But aren't you the male of your pairing? Aren't you the dominant one and whatever you say goes?"_

Cody laughed again. "You obviously know as much about humans as I did about cats. Bailey and I are equal partners. I don't dare do anything without her knowing about it first."

_"She doesn't seem to know that you and I can somehow communicate with each other..."_

He paused. "Touche. But, I am planning on telling her about this soon. I just have to find the right way to break it to her first though..."

_"Why haven't you told her yet?"_

"Well, we've been really busy with classes and the such. I was hoping to pick a time that won't interfere with any of those in case she doesn't take it as well as I hope she does. I want to soften the blow as much as possible."

_"Whatever you have to do...will you just ask her about my sister first though?"_

"Sure. I'll let you know what she says in the morning."

After that, Cody headed back inside (after remembering to secure the barn of course), and he made his way back into the new sewing room. Bailey was already in bed reading a book, but she looked up when she saw him come back in.

"Is Albie okay out there?"

He nodded as he took off his slippers and sweatshirt. "Yeah, he's fine."

"I sure hope so. Grammy was telling me earlier that his sister, Allie, almost got caught out by a coyote and refuses to come out of the barn now." She paused. "She was actually thinking that..."

Cody cut her off. "That we should take her back to Boston with us?"

Bailey nodded hesitantly. "Yeah. I wasn't sure what you would think about it, but I..."

He cut her off again. "Will it make you happy if we do?"

"Yeah, it will. You know how much I love animals."

Cody shrugged again. "Well, then I hope they don't mind being a little cramped in that one pet carrier we have when we fly home..."

Her eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, that thing is kind of small. Could be very close quarters in there."

Bailey jumped up out of bed and hugged him tightly. "No, not that, silly! Thank you so much for this, Cody! And I promise I'll even take her to the vet this time."

He laughed. "You could, unless you want to go double for nothing on our bet..."

She pulled back. "How would we do that? You already got what you wanted the first time."

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something to make things interesting. So, are you game?"

"You're on!" She leaned in and kissed him before pulling back and smiling at him. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I have a pretty good idea – almost as much as I love you. Besides, if something makes you happy, far be it for me to deny you that. Plus, I get the feeling that our home being full of animals is going to be a constant theme for the rest our lives, so I might as well get used to it now. Anyways, this might make Al happy too. And if there is the chance to keep our home from returning to the battlefield it once was, then I'm willing to give it a shot."

Bailey hugged him again. "We don't dare here, but when we get home, I'm going to show you just how much this means to me. You really are the best, Sweetie."

Cody just grinned. He knew he would never get tired of hearing her say things like that about him...even if he might not quite deserve it this time. "Yeah, I know..."

_Boston, Christmas Eve_

That same evening, Arwin and Carey had gone out to dinner, and afterwards, they were enjoying a horse drawn carriage ride through downtown Boston. And while it was still snowing, neither one of them seemed to mind it in the least.

"This was a wonderful idea you had, Arwin. Thank you."

He blushed. "Well, I just thought it would be something you'd like. Plus, I thought it would be romantic enough for what I had in mind for tonight."

She turned to him. "And what is that?"

Arwin took a deep breath. "Carey, you know I've been crazy about you for over ten years now, right?"

Carey smiled. "I know, and while it took me a little longer, I have to say I'm pretty crazy about you now too."

"Good." He swallowed. "Because I need to ask you something really important..."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"This..." He pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. "Carey, will you marry me?"

_To be Continued..._

**AN: I just discovered that Disney Channel is making a sequel series to Boy Meets World called Girl Meets World, and that Ben Savage (Cory) and Danielle Fishel (Topanga) have signed on to return to it. Supposedly, it will center on the life of their teenage daughter. I must say, I'm kind of interested to see what they will do with this, and I hope it won't be a tarnish on the original series. Of course, I'm also curious to see if my predictions about them from Season 4 of SLOC turn out to be in anyway accurate.**


	15. Till Death Do Us Part

_Chapter 15_

_"Till Death Do Us Part"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Carey's Suite, Boston, Christmas Day_

Even though it was Christmas Day, neither Zack nor Maya were planning on starting the day off too early. Despite that though and in contrast to their preference to sleep in until at least ten o'clock, Zack and Maya both found themselves up a little after eight thirty that morning. And its not that they were up early because they wanted to be. But when both of their phones began blowing up starting about seven thirty, one of them finally got so tired of it that he finally answered it. And when Zack did, he didn't even have a chance to get a word in edgewise before his mother told him that they both needed to be over at her suite in thirty minutes. When he tried to negotiate, Carey basically told him that if they weren't, she would be over there then to drag them out of bed if she had to.

After finally accepting defeat, he hung up his phone and sighed. "There goes us sleeping in. And what is it with people wanting me to be so early on Christmas mornings? First it was Moseby our senior year on the boat and now Mom..." He yawned. "Babe, why don't you go ahead and shower and wake me up when you're done?"

Maya yawned too before physically pushing him out of bed. "Yeah, I don't think so. Since you're already up, you can wake me back up when you're done"

A few minutes before nine, both were finally up and out of bed, showered and dressed. And both of them knew they had to get moving as they did believe Carey's threat. So, they made the oh so long journey down the hallway and knocked on Carey's door right at nine o'clock. When she finally opened it up, Zack was yawning again.

"We're here, but I have to ask, why so early, Mom? I'm pretty sure all the presents under the tree could have waited a couple of more hours for us to fully wake up. Besides, I distinctly remember you yourself remarking that I like to sleep in on Christmas mornings now that I'm older. So, again, I have to ask, why was it so important for us to be over here so early?"

Carey just smiled. "I know I said that a few years ago, but this Christmas morning has a little something extra special about it. You see, Arwin and I have some very big news for everyone, and I don't know if I can hold it in any longer!."

The three of Zack, Maya and Mimi all instantly turned to look at Arwin, and they immediately could see that he had the biggest grin on his face. Suddenly, Zack had a light bulb moment as it dawned on him why that might be. "Wait a minute! You actually did it, didn't you?"

Arwin just kept grinning. "Uh huh. I sure did..."

He laughed then. "Well, I'm taking it by the dopey grin on your face that it went well. Congrats, Man!" He paused and began laughing again. "To be perfectly honest, I halfway shocked that your still conscious right now. So, when did you do it?"

"Last night. Your grandmother actually helped me set everything up." Arwin paused this time. "She didn't like my original idea, so she decided to help my improve on it. She suggested I do it while we were out in a horse drawn carriage"

That caught Carey's attention and she turned to Mimi. "You had a hand in this, Mom?"

Mimi just smiled. "Of course I did! Arwin called me and told me what he was planning on doing, so that's why I flew in early."

Of course, by then, Maya was completely confused as to what was going on. "Can we back up a few steps here. It seems that everyone else but me already knows what this announcement is all about..."

Carey laughed. "Oh yeah. I guess we hadn't got to the part yet. Well, the big news is that Arwin proposed to me last night...and I said yes!"

Maya was surprised. "Oh wow! Congratulations to you both..."

Zack slapped Arwin on the back. "Yeah. Welcome to the family. We may be a little crazy, but then again, you already knew that. Anyways, it seems like you've already been one of us for a while now, so I guess this makes it official."

Carey turned to her oldest son. "So how did you know what he had planned, Zack?"

"Oh, that? A few nights ago, when we all went out to dinner here at the hotel, Arwin pulled Cody and I off to the side when we went to pick a wine and asked us for our blessing. We both knew how crazy he is about you, so we gave him the go ahead and our blessings."

She sighed in relief. "That makes the phone call I was planning on making to him soon a little easier then. I still remember the last time he thought I was going to get married..."

"Yeah, but I think he's mellowed out a lot some since then. I have no idea desire to know exactly how she does it, but I'm pretty sure we have to give Bailey credit for that..."

Carey paused. "Yeah, me either, but I'm grateful for whatever it is she does."

Maya turned to Zack and gave him a look. "Backing up again, how come you didn't tell me about this later that night?"

He shrugged. "Arwin asked me to keep it a secret. He even asked us not to tell you or Bailey."

Arwin nodded. "Yeah, that was my call, Maya. Sorry about that, but if I went down in flames, I wanted as few people to know about it as possible."

"Well, I guess I can understand that. Anyways, congratulations to the both of you again."

He smiled. "Thank you. It may have taken me ten years, but I really close to having my greatest dream come true."

Carey had to laugh again. "Yeah, I guess so. Its kind of crazy how things seem to work out in the end."

"You're telling me! I've never been more nervous before in my whole life. I'm glad I never have to propose ever again."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Thanks..."

Arwin laughed. "Oh, its gut wrenching, but trust me, Zack, there's no feeling in the world like hearing that one simple word - yes."

He nodded. "I guess I'll take your word on that..." He paused to think. "You know, maybe the Codester is actually smarter than I give him credit for when it comes to women. He knew when he proposed that he had a guaranteed yes coming his way..."

Maya teased him. "Sort of like you do too?"

"Well, yeah...I got that going for me which is nice."

She shook her head and turned back to Carey. "So, have you two made any plans yet?"

"Nothing yet, but I think we just want something simple. Maybe this summer when everyone will be out of school and have time."

Zack laughed. "Lets just hope London doesn't find out before then or simple is the last thing it'll be."

Carey frowned. "That's a very good point." She paused, shook her head and laughed. "You know what? I'll worry about that later. What I do know that I will want you and Cody to walk me down the aisle and give me away."

Arwin spoke up. "And then immediately take your places at my side as my best men. Esteban says you two are quite good at that."

Zack smiled. "Done and done."

"Good. How about we all go out to celebrate with breakfast? I'm buying!" He laughed. "Unless you two would rather go back to bed..."

Zack turned to Maya and grinned. "Hmmm...a free meal or going back to bed. Decisions, decisions..."

_Kettlecorn_

While Zack was complaing about how early his Christmas morning had started early in Boston, everyone in Kettlecorn was waking up about the same time even though it was technically an hour earlier (CST). Since the rooster didn't take holidays off, everyone at the farmhouse was up as soon as the sun rose and he began crowing. And that morning, after Bailey helped her dad with the morning chores and Cody helped her Mom with making breakfast, everyone sat down together to eat before it was time to open all of their presents. Of course, seeing what they were wearing that morning, Amy couldn't help but tease her sister and brother-in-law again.

"Hmmm...Those shirts look familiar. I think they were orange and brown for Thanksgiving though..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "They should look familiar because I already showed them to you a couple of months ago."

She grinned. "I know. But with you in red and Cody in green, its like I'm looking at Santa and on of his...or in this case, her elves." She paused and laughed. "Then again, you do have prior experience trying to pretend to be a guy before..."

"Ha ha..."

"Shouldn't that be ho ho?"

Cody turned to Bailey. "Why am I always the elf in these things?"

She gave him a look. "Well, if the tights fit..."

"You mean those same compression pants you've been borrowing for a while now to wear while you go out running?"

Bailey paused. "Well, that may be true, but they are still yours."

"Uh huh. What happened to whatever mine is yours and yours is mine?"

Amy laughed. "He's got you there, Sis..."

Fortunately for Bailey, about that time, the doorbell rang, and her sisters and their families began filing into the farmhouse. And with them all there, it was time to see what Santa brought everyone. And like usual, Bailey had a pretty good idea what she was going to find in all of her presents from Cody. Well, almost, there were three smaller gifts from him that had had foreseen coming. Of course, that brought another smile to his face that his was able to throw three curve balls past her. He even teased her and said that three strikes, and she was out. But she didn't mind too much as even though she wasn't expecting what found in those three boxes, she still loved them anyways. Once everyone finally opened their final presents, everyone began milling around or heading back to their houses to play with their new toys. But there was still one last present to hand out, and when Clyde looked over at Cody with a questioning look, and Cody just responded with a nod.

"Actually, Eunice, you still have one more present, but you won't be able to open this one. Follow me to your new sewing room..."

She cut him off and smiled. "I already know about the room, Clyde. I've been in there numerous times now, so I know all about that surprise."

He grinned. "Not all of it. Come on, follow me."

So, she did, and she was more than shocked when she saw her brand new laptop sitting there with a red bow on it. When she sat down in front of it, she touched the mouse, and suddenly a background screen of her entire family was already there. "What the feathers? Clyde, when did you have time to do this?"

Clyde kept grinning. "I just bought it. Cody took care of everything else for me last night. According to him, everything should be all ready to go for you. But, we'll have to call in a couple of days to get you set up for that internet thingy..."

Cody spoke up. "Actually, you won't. The computer already has wireless internet up and running. Just click on that red, yellow and green button."

His in-laws turned and gave him a look. "How were you able to have this done already?"

He grinned. "Lets just say that when I was double checking everything last night, I discovered that one of your neighbors already had a wireless account without any security measures in place. I merely..." He paused. "...hacked in to theirs and created a password protected account for you as part of theirs. And I've hidden it so they can never find it..."

Eunice shook her head. "Its a sweet thought, Hon, but I wouldn't feel right about stealing..."

Cody cut her off. "The account belongs to Joe and Edna Weevil..."

She paused before laughing. "Oh...in that case!"

Clyde laughed too. "Atta boy! They owe us anyways!" He slapped Cody on the back. "I knew I always liked you for some reason."

Cody gave Bailey a look, but she was doing her best not to laugh. So, he just shrugged. "Well, like I said, its password protected, but I think you all can guess what it is..."

Bailey finally had to laugh. "Horse pucky?"

"You got it, Sweetie. But, you have to type it in as all one word."

Eunice laughed again. "That's perfect. But I'll have to get you two to show me how everything works later. Right now, we need to get started on getting Christmas dinner ready."

Cody nodded. "I'm on it. I'll head on outside and have my annual..." He grinned. "...showdown with the chickens." He paused. "Though, I need to go find Al first as I promised him I'd give him a front row seat for it. I..." But before he could finish his thought, he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and checked the caller ID. "Excuse me for a moment everyone, its my Mom."

While he walked into the kitchen to take the call, Eunice leaned in towards her daughter. "Did he just say he promised the cat a front row seat?"

Bailey just shrugged. "Sure sounded that way, didn't it?"

"Is he okay? Med school isn't getting to be too much for him, is it? He's not cracking up, is he?"

She just laughed. "No, don't think so. If I had to guess, I think he's so happy that Albie doesn't hate him anymore that he's just trying to bond with him some more. Besides, this wouldn't be all that out of the ordinary for Cody. I mean, he's always marched to the beat of his own drummer."

Eunice smiled. "I know. You and he both have. I'm just glad you both seem to enjoy the same rhythm..."

Several minutes later, Cody re-entered the room with a strange look on his face. "Okay, that was an interesting phone call..."

"Is everything okay back in Boston?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I would say so. In fact, by how excited my Mom sounded, I would say everything is better than okay. It seems I'm about to have a new stepfather..."

That could Bailey off guard. "Huh?"

"Well, from what I was told, Arwin popped the question to Mom last night, and she said yes." He laughed. "I knew he was thinking of asking her to marry him, but I didn't know he was going to do it so soon..." He shrugged. "More power to him though."

Bailey gave him a look. "You knew he was going to propose, and you didn't tell me? Cody..."

Cody let out a nervous laugh. "Well, I haven't known for all that. He asked Zack and I for our blessings the night before we left to come here, and he didn't want us to tell anyone in case Mom shot him down. I guess he didn't want any potential humiliation to be widely known. Besides, Bails...it really wasn't my secret to share."

She paused. "Well, I guess I can understand that..."

He smiled. "Look on the bright side though...Mom did say she wanted you and Maya to be her bridesmaids. She wants to keep everything simple though which means she doesn't want London to get too involved if she can help it."

"I can definitely understand that too. I guess I need to get used to having two fathers-in-law then, huh?"

Eunice laughed. "You don't have to worry about that, Honey. As a woman, you only need to worry about your mother-in-law." She leaned in and whispered. "Trust me on that!"

Clyde heard her though. "Hey!"

Deciding to change the subject, Eunice turned to Cody. "Are you sure you're okay with this though? Didn't they just start dating after your wedding?"

He paused. "Well, technically, that's true I guess, but then again, we've all known Arwin since the day we moved into the Tipton over ten years ago. But, he and Zack and I have always gotten along great. He always seemed to enjoy hanging out with us, and he became kind of a goofy, eccentric uncle. I guess he'll be a goofy, eccentric step-dad now. I still remember this one time he helped me build a laser for a science fair. Unfortunately, it was a little too powerful and ended up burning several holes into the Tipton. Needless to say, Mr. Moseby was not happy at all..."

"I think I can understand why..." But before Eunice could finish her thought, the front door to the farmhouse burst open with a large commotion. Everyone turned to see what was going on, and they discovered Sophie with the biggest grin on her face as she drug a young man into the house behind her.

Clyde frowned. "Sophie, Sweetheart, what's going on? And why do you look like your cow just won the blue ribbon at the county fair?"

She kept grinning. "Daddy, I have news even better than that! This morning, Grant and I went for a walk, and while we were out...and he proposed to me!" And with that, she held out her hand to show everyone her ring.

While everyone else began to fuss all over her to get their first look at the ring, Cody leaned into Bailey and whispered. "Giving someone a ring on a Christmas morning walk. Where have I heard that idea before?"

She shushed him and whispered back. "It doesn't matter. Be nice!"

He smiled and teased her. "Oh, I am. But if I had known Christmas was the popular time to actually propose, I would have waited longer than I did."

Clyde happened to hear him say that and laughed as he clasped Cody on the back. "I think it'll be alright. Besides, who do you think gave him the idea of doing it this way?"

"You?"

"You got it!" He teased his son-in-law. "Now, unlike my most recent son-in-law, Grant actually came to see me in person to ask me for my blessing..."

"Hey, you said to call you, and I did! And in my defense, at the time, I was kind of indisposed. If I had tried to get out of my hospital bed, your daughter would have been very upset with me. Not really the mood I wanted her to be in when I did propose!"

Clyde laughed again. "Oh, settle down. Look at the bright side. My days of focusing all of my torturing on you as my newest son-in-law appear to be coming to an end..."

_Boston_

Later that Christmas Day, Zack and Maya finally got the chance to return back to their suite and catch their breathes. Ultimately, they couldn't turn down a free meal, and breakfast was going just fine when suddenly everything changed and began going crazy. The five of them had been sitting around the table discussing the kind of wedding Carey wanted when they all heard a shriek. Everyone turned around to see what was going on when the saw London standing there with her eyes wide in surprise.

"Carey, you're getting married?!"

Immediately, she grabbed Carey's hand to see the ring and even gave Arwin a backhanded compliment saying it was pretty nice based on the salary her father payed him. Everything went downhill from there and quickly became a circus as London pulled over a chair and began telling everyone about all the work they had to do in the near future. Zack turned to look at his Mom, and seeing the look on her face, he had to do his best not to bust out laughing. But, London seemed oblivious and was focused on making a list and making phone calls. Fortunately for Zack and Maya, they were able to excuse themselves after they finished eating claiming they were still tired. And when they got back to their suite, they locked their door and collapsed into their couch. Zack turned to his girlfriend.

"No offense, Babe, but when we get engaged, we need to be more careful about where we talk about it in public..."

Maya laughed. "Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. While you were back on the boat that summer, I was helping out with Cody and Bailey's wedding. I remember how...involved London got with that. While Bailey seemed to be on the same page as her on a lot of things, your brother had the same look on his face that your Mom did earlier. And that was well before the meeting with Arturo and the fittings..."

He shuddered. "I remember having to get my own fitting. I have no desire to go through that ever again. Hopefully, they still have my measurements on file somewhere..."

"Babe, it doesn't work that way..." She paused. "Speaking of this wedding though, are you really okay with it?"

Zack gave her a look. "Yeah, of course I am. Arwin's a good guy, and my Mom can and has done a lot worse before. Plus, Arwin has known as for over ten years. When we lived here at the hotel, he was always hanging out with Cody and me and always treated as like friends. And he's been in love with Mom for like forever. The fact that she was saddled with us didn't faze him in the least..." He paused and laughed. "Of course, the big one in his favor is that Mimi actually really likes him. Once he got her seal of approval, he was golden. And its like I said earlier – he's always been like family to us..." He paused again and smiled. "You know, its kind of weird how much all of us here at the hotel were like a big family. Us, Maddie, London, Esteban, Arwin, Miriam and even Moseby. I guess that's something I didn't really notice when I was younger."

Maya smiled at him. "Yet more proof you have grown up. Though, I think I'd refrain from talking smack about your Mom's personal life when you have as colorful one as your own."

"Yeah, yeah. But from all the stories she used to tell us while we were growing up, she used to date a long line of losers before she met my Dad."

She paused. "Speaking of your Dad, how do you think he'll feel about this?"

"To be honest, I think he'll be happy for them both. My parents are still friends, but both have moved on in their lives. Plus, he has Maria now, remember?"

"Oh, I know. I guess they'll forever be linked through you and Cody. I guess having you two means they'll never regret their time they did have together."

Zack laughed. "Well, having me anyways."

Maya gave him a look. "Yeah, like they're not proud of their other son who graduated Yale with a 4.0, got a free ride to Harvard Medical School and is already happily married."

"You know the old expression – even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut."

She kept giving him the same look. "Uh huh. I know you, Zack. As much smack talk as you like to say about your brother, everyone knows you really care about him."

He shrugged. "I never said I didn't. I do admit there were times when we were growing up that I really worried about him. I thought with his trusting nature, he would get taken advantage of. In fact, I had worries about him getting catfished like Manti Te'o eventually did. But, I give him props for staying true to who he was and never wavering from that. But, in my defense though, how was I supposed to know there was another one of him out there who actually enjoys putting up with him and loves him."

Maya grinned. "Ever think he might have thought the same thing about you?"

"Maybe he did. I do know either way that the Martin twins are doing pretty well for ourselves. We're both on the right track to having successful careers while having ladies who for some reason love us."

"I suppose..." Maya paused. "Oh yeah, I just remembered something. While London was scaring your Mom half to death, I checked the weather app on my phone for updates on that big winter storm."

"And?"

"Looks like its going to arrive sooner than expected. Its now due to hit New England late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning."

"So, you're saying we need to head down to New York early on Tuesday now?"

"Exactly."

Zack shrugged again. "Works for me. It'll give us a chance to get away from the the craziness that I'm sure London will be bringing here shortly."

She smiled. "Good call. I'll call Mom and Daddy later to let them know our change in plans. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to have us for an extra day."

"And I'll call Marcus to see if he has a plan B for New Year's Eve if the storm persists."

"All I know is if its bad, I have no qualms about staying indoors. I've been to Times Square once, and that was enough for me..."

He grinned. "Oh, I'm sure we'll find something for us to do..." Zack was about to finish his thought when his phone began ringing. "Hold that thought." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned when he saw who it was calling. "Now why the hell is Woody calling me on Christmas Day?"

_The Pickett Farmhouse, a couple of days later_

Like Zack and Maya had, Cody and Bailey too soon realized that their travel plans in the next couple of days were going to be affected by the upcoming blizzard and needed to be adjusted. Previously, they were scheduled to fly back on Wednesday afternoon, the 30th. But with the storm coming due to hit the night before, they called the airline to see if they could exchange their tickets. While the morning flight on Tuesday was completely booked, they were able to get the last two adjoining seats on the Monday evening flight out of Tulsa. With that settled, they wanted to enjoy the remaining time they had in Kettlecorn. And on Sunday evening, that included the families of Sophie and her new fiance having dinner together at Grant's family's home. Fortunately, it was large enough to hold close to fifty people. Once the meal and preliminary talks about the wedding had finished, the ladies headed back to the Pickett farmhouse while the guys all took the soon to be groom to the town tavern to celebrate among other things.

Sophie fretted. "Are they really celebrating or gathering around to warn him about stuff?"

Bailey laughed before looking at her younger sister. "Probably a little of both. They're probably giving him the so called 'words of wisdom' they all tried to give Cody when we came back to Kettlecorn after we got engaged."

The second oldest sister, Nellie's eyebrows raised. "Did he actually tell you everything they told him?"

"Yeah...I think so anyways. I kind of sort of made him tell me what they had discussed."

But Sophie was really concerned by now. "Wait a minute! What kind of stuff are they going to be telling him?"

"Oh the usual. You know, the secrets they all think that we don't know about but we really do."

Her oldest sister Missy laughed. "Exactly! All guys want to think that they're the ones in charge and the kings of the castle while all know the real truth."

Sophie frowned. "Really?"

"That's why its our job here to tell you how things really work."

"Like what?"

Eunice laughed this time. "Sweetheart, the biggest thing I can tell you right now is that the man you marry is going to be the same one you've been dating for these past several years. Don't go thinking you can change him much at all. A long time ago, I learned that your father is who he is. Once I accepted that, my life was much, much easier."

Shelly (the third oldest of the Pickett girls) nodded. "Truer words have never been spoken. Even more so than that, you have to remember that all men are idiots deep down. Even when they have the best of intentions, they will do stupid stuff that drives you totally up the wall. But, its in their DNA, and they can't help it..."

Bailey chuckled. "Now, I think those are the truest words spoken!"

Sophie turned to Bailey. "Even Cody does stupid things? But I thought he was so smart..."

"Oh he's very intelligent, and over the years I've known him, he's gotten a lot better about avoiding doing stupid stuff. But that doesn't mean he's immune to it from time to time."

"Like what? Give me an example."

Bailey just gave her a look. "I have two words for you – practice date."

_The Town Tavern_

In town, the conversation among the guys was very similar yet very different at the same time. At first, everyone was toasting Grant and congratulating him on the fact that Sophie had said yes. But after a few drinks had been consumed, all of the married guys began giving him advice. And naturally, they began by telling him all the 'clever' tricks, rules and mysteries of marriage they had learned during the courses of the own marriages. If Sophie was confused, Grant was even more so.

"You guys are serious about all of this?"

Missy's husband, Kevin just laughed. "As a heart attack! You have to do whatever it takes to keep your wife happy. Its like Clyde told me the day of my wedding – if Momma ain't happy, then nobody happy. Truer words have never been spoken."

At hearing that, everyone couldn't help but to nod. The first to speak up after that was Shelly's husband, Tom. "True that! And don't even begin to think you'll have the same relationship as husband and wife that you did as boyfriend and girlfriend. Once the preacher says I do, everything and I mean everything changes. You'll learn things about your wife that you had no idea about and might wish you could forget about."

Grant turned to Cody. "You've been married the shortest amount of time. Is that really true?"

Cody smiled. "Well, I do think its accurate to a certain degree. Once your married, things do change, but that's only natural. As for Bailey and I, I think us living together our senior year at Yale really helped me with that transition. I got a first hand look at how things would change with us co-habitating, and it allowed me to adapt early on to what I would be in store for. Still, once married, things do change even more. In fact, I'd say once you're engage they really begin to change. A fiancee is a lot different than a girlfriend."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, here's a little bit of advice. Give her the exact wedding she wants. I don't care if she wants to do something that you don't like. Know this going in - it doesn't really matter what you want or think."

Everyone else nodded at that before Clyde spoke up. "That's 100% true. I insisted on something at my wedding over thirty years ago, and I still hear about till this day. If I had known then what I do now, I would have let it drop and given in to what Eunice wanted instead."

Cody laughed. "Thank you again for telling me about that back then. Now, Grant, once you're married, the biggest trick you need to learn is when to pick your battles. If something isn't that big of a deal to you, let it go." He smiled. "Now, it might sound like you're just rolling over, but its not. Just do this and when something comes up you really do care about, you're more likely to get your way."

Tom laughed too. "And even then, your odds of getting your way is only about 10%."

Kevin sighed. "Now, if you ever do anything stupid, don't try to argue about. Don't try to defend or justify what you did. Just throw yourself at her mercy and beg for forgiveness..."

Grant's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

Cody smiled. "Well, so they tell me. I've yet to experience that moment so far as a husband, but something tells me my time is running out. But, don't worry, Sophie probably already has a rolodex in her brain of everything you've ever done before. So, if you do get in arguments, she'll be able to throw something you did years ago back at you even if it has nothing to do with the fight."

Tom clasped Grant on the back. "You need to remember that all women are crazy to some degree or another. We're all lucky here that we've found women who have a level of craziness that we can deal with. Some guys aren't so lucky, and I think that's why the divorce rate is so high."

Grant shook his head in disbelief. "Really?" He turned to Cody. "Is that true about Bailey? I always thought she had a good head on her shoulders."

"Oh, she does. But none of them are immune to the craziness. Let me tell you the story of our senior prom..."

_Back at the Farmhouse_

Sophie was sitting on the couch shaking her head in confusion after having listened to all of the stories that her sisters, her mother and her grandmother had told her about their husbands.

"I don't understand then. You guys make your husbands sound like a bunch of idiots. Why in the world did you all get married then if they can all be so stupid at times."

Missy smiled at her. "That's an easy one, Soph. We all got married because we love the big goofs and can't imagine our lives without them. And remember, as bad as the stories are that we've just told you, I assure you that the guys are telling Grant similar stories about us right now."

Eunice nodded. "Exactly. And remember, there is a reason you said yes when he proposed. There is a reason they include the words for richer or for poorer and in good times and in bad as part of the wedding vows."

Bailey smiled. "Definitely don't forget in sickness and in health too. I had to learn that one the hard way. And I know I've only been married for about six months, but I can already tell you that trust, honesty, and communication are the pillars of a good marriage. If something is bothering you, then tell Grant. And trust me, don't go flying off the handle thinking the worst before you actually talk to him and find out the truth about something. I wish someone had told me that back in high school. But then again, you hopefully learn from your mistakes and know to never repeat them again."

She sighed. "I guess I can see that."

Grammy laughed. "I hope so. We're tell you all of this in hopes that you don't go in thinking everything will be perfect because it won't be. But if you remember you love him, then everything else can work itself out." She paused and grinned. "Plus, making up with your feller is half the fun of arguing."

Everyone looked at their grandmother in shock. "Grammy! We don't need to hear that!"

She just laughed. "Well, its true!"

Sophie paused. "While I don't want to think about you and Grandpa like that, it does bring up another question I have been thinking about..." She turned to Bailey. "Since you're the most recent bride here, were you...you know...nervous on your wedding night?"

"My wedding night?" Bailey looked at her in confusion for a moment before it dawned on her what her sister was alluding to. "Oh, well...I guess I would say..."

Before she could finish trying to think of a way to answer that question, Grammy begin laughing again and cut her off. "Of course she wasn't! That night wasn't her...what was that phrase Cody used the other night? Her first time at the rodeo?"

Bailey's eyes went wide as her face reddened. "Grammy!"

"Oh relax. The only person who didn't know it or at least suspect it was your father. And we certainly aren't going to tell him now."

She turned to her mother in surprise. "Momma? You knew?"

Eunice smiled. "Well, I wasn't 100% sure until just now, but I had a pretty good inclination."

Bailey began stammering. "Well, its not like we weren't planning on waiting, but we found ourselves in a situation where we had to...re-asses that notion."

All of her sisters began laughing. "Uh huh..." "Sure..." "Right..."

Bailey sighed. "Its true! You see, on our spring break trip our sophomore years..." And she went on to tell them all the g-rated version of the story as best she could. Once she was done, everyone was looking at her in surprise.

Eunice spoke up. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"Well...because we were afraid of the follow up questions people would have. Besides, by then, we were already engaged to be engaged and knew we were going to be married some day, and we didn't think it was anyone's business but ours. Besides, I don't regret what we did at all. In fact, I think its perfectly natural and healthy for us to have an active love life." She paused and blushed again. "In fact, I really enjoy it."

Amy grinned. "Oh, I know you do...especially after what I found in your closet!"

Everyone turned their gaze back to the youngest sister. "Oh?"

"Uh huh..." And she held nothing back telling everyone what she found.

Naturally, that brought a lot of catcalls that even further embarrassed Bailey. She knew she had to do something to divert the attention away from her. "Well, I'm not the only one of us in Boston who has been sharing a bed with a male..."

Of course, everyone switched their attention back to Amy who was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Bailey grinned and pulled out her phone. Finding the picture of Amy and Rufus, she showed everyone. "See?" And while everyone was laughing over it, Bailey smirked at her sister. "That was for Christmas morning..."

_Back at the Tavern_

Much like his new fiancee, Grant looked around at his soon to be father-in-law and brothers-in-law in confusion.

"I don't get it. From the stories you guys have told me, you don't necessarily give the institution of marriage the most ringing of endorsements."

Clyde laughed. "Marriage is great, but we're just preparing you early for the downsides. Trust us, 99.99% of the time, you'll look at your wife and know you couldn't function without her. You won't think its possible to love her more than you already do. But, there are those very small minority of times where you do wonder where you can bury the body..."

Everyone else laughed and nodded. "That's true. And then once she becomes the mother of your children, well, you'll really know that you really can't live without her. I shudder thinking of having to take care of the kids by myself..."

Cody spoke up. "We have no kids yet here, but I already look forward to when we do. Plus, there will be times when your wife will do something that makes you fall in love with her all over again."

Grant turned to him. "Yeah, like what?"

He paused. "I'm sure you all remember when that psycho busted into that elementary school and murdered twenty first graders and their teachers in cold blood a few years back. Well, that school was less than twenty-five miles from us in New Haven, so it hit really close to home. Anyways, that happened on a Friday, and we had just begun our finals the day before. So, even though no one would have blamed anyone for trying to ignore it and focusing all of their attention on their finals, Bailey still felt the need to do something. After speaking with the master of our college for about ten minutes, those two had got the ball rolling. By Saturday morning, their were donation boxes in every dining hall on campus to gather money to send to the families in Newtown. Even before then, I knew she was the most amazing woman I would ever know, but her actions that day..." He shook his head and smiled. "Well, I knew how truly lucky and blessed I was to have her in my life. For the rest of my life, I'll never forget her doing that."

And hearing that, everyone fell kind of silent and nodded their heads. Cody continued though. "All we're trying to say is that while marriage isn't easy, its the best decisions we've all ever made. Even when our wives do things that baffle us, we still love them all the same."

"Things that baffle you?"

Cody nodded and laughed. "Yeah. These guys tried to warn me about one thing in particular, but you can't really believe it until you witness it firsthand."

"What's that?"

Tom began laughing. "You're talking about the toilet paper thing, aren't you?"

Cody just sighed and nodded. "You got it..."

Grant was even more confused. "What toilet paper thing?"

"You'll soon learn that every married couple goes through a staggering amount of toilet paper. We don't know where it all goes, and our best guess so far is that there are toilet paper gnomes who steal it at night."

Cody nodded again. "Its true. We buy a twenty-four pack every month, and somehow use it all. Fortunately, we buy the recycled kind or else I'd be worried we're responsible for the clearing of the rain forests. And other than the gnomes, I do have another theory that my wife is making origami animals out of it all, but I can't prove it."

Kevin laughed. "That's a good theory too. Unfortunately, there's no way to know for sure."

"Why not just ask them?"

At hearing that, everyone just began laughing gain. "Yeah, if you have any ideas about how we would go about starting that conversation, let us know. Because we sure as hell don't. We've just learned to live with it and accept it."

Clyde nodded. "Its like the old expression goes – women, can't live with them, can't live without them."

_The Pickett Farmhouse_

Later that night and after they had sobered up enough to drive, Cody and Clyde finally returned to the farmhouse while everyone else returned back to their own homes and their families. And as Cody and Bailey got ready for bed, she turned to look at him.

"You guys didn't try to fill Grant's head with a bunch of nonsense did you?"

He just smiled. "No, we just told him to always remember that there was a reason you fell in love with your wife in the first place."

She gave him a look. "You didn't tell him that whole all women are crazy thing, did you?"

Cody laughed. "That subject might have come up..."

"I hope you remembered to mention that I was the exception to the rule!"

He just smiled. "Sweetie, you know how much I love you, but you aren't the exception."

Bailey's eyes went wide. "Name one thing I've ever done that was crazy!"

"Does our senior prom ring a bell to you?"

She paused for a moment. "Okay, name two."

"Alright, how about the food fight you started when you I was teaching Home Ec?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I bet you can't name a third one though..."

Cody paused as he realized that continuing this conversation would not be in his best interests. "That's it, Bails. Those are the only instances I can think of..."

Bailey nodded and smiled. "Well, all things considered, I guess that's not so bad."

He wrapped his arm around. "Nope, not at all. Now, you all didn't try to tell Sophie a load of bull either, did you?"

"Of course not. We only told her the truth." She paused. "But, there is something I do need to tell you..." And with that, she told him about Grammy busting her and about her telling everyone the story of their spring break. "Don't worry though, everyone promised not to tell Daddy."

"That's good I guess. But why didn't you bust Amy right back by showing everyone the picture we had of her with Rufus?"

Bailey grinned. "Who's to say I didn't?"

Cody laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, that's my girl..."

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were all packed up, and had their rental car already to head out towards Tulsa. They were in the process of saying their goodbyes to everyone when Clyde told them he had one last minute Christmas present for them both. But instead of giving them something to open, he took them out towards the back part of the family farm.

"Daddy, what are we doing way out here? The only thing out here is the family cemetery..."

Clyde grinned. "I know. I just wanted to show you guys where the new Martin wing of the Pickett graveyard will be. I figured burial plots were something you two hadn't thought of yet, right?"

At that moment, both Cody and Bailey just turned to look at each other in shock. "No, can't say we had..."

_To be Continued..._


	16. Dawn of a New Year

_Chapter 16_

_"Dawn of a New Year"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Boston, the following morning_

Due to the impending winter weather that was due to hit New England later that Tuesday afternoon, Zack and Maya accepted an invitation to have breakfast with Cody and Bailey before they hit the road to head to New York City. The previous evening, Cody and Bailey had arrived safely back in Boston about six o'clock and were soon on their way to the Tipton Hotel for a couple of reasons. One, that is where there car was parked. And two, that evening was to be the second Christmas in Boston and time to exchange presents again with everyone finally in attendance. But, unfortunately for Carey and Arwin, the relaxing time was cut short by London showing up unannounced carrying numerous bridal magazines as well as a copy of the same checklist she had saved from Cody and Bailey's wedding. Luckily for them, they had the excuse of jet lag and two cats they had to get back home as a justifiable reasons for them to call it a night early. And the next morning, they could see that Zack and Maya looked exhausted.

"Long night?"

Maya sighed. "You could say that. London was like a dog with a bone last night. I really think she missed her calling as a wedding planner..."

Cody just shook his head and smiled. "I almost feel sorry for Mom. If she's not careful, London will try to make it the wedding the event of the season."

Zack laughed. "I know what you mean, but I think Mom was finally successful in getting her to accept that she wanted it to be very low key. London wasn't very happy about that, but she agreed to tone it down some if Mom and Arwin would agree to hold it in the same ballroom at the hotel that Maddie and Trevor got married in."

"That's not so bad. And if you think about, it is kind of poetic. I mean, Bailey and I got married where we had our first date, and the hotel is where Arwin and Mom first met." He paused and laughed. "I'm just glad I don't ever have to go through planning a wedding ever again..."

Bailey gave him a look. "Yeah, until its time for one of our children. I know you too well, Sweetie. You'll say you don't want to get involved, but you won't be able to help yourself. Remember Esteban's wedding?"

He sighed. "Do I ever. I still think eloping should always be a viable option. As much as I loved our wedding day, all the planning that lead up to it is a completely different story."

She nodded. "That's true. And something tells me Arturo is going to be busy as well this summer. Sophie wants me to call him and see if he would meet with her. He says he still owes me for inspiring him to design again, so I'm pretty sure he will though. I'm planning on calling him this week."

"Have fun with that..." Cody shook his head and turned to his brother. "You know, Zack, from what I've experienced this Christmas, I wouldn't have been shocked to have come home and discovered that you had proposed as well. Celebrity deaths seem to come in threes, why not proposals?"

"Not hardly!" Zack paused and tried to cover for himself when he saw the look his girlfriend was giving him. "Not that Maya doesn't know it is coming eventually, but I'm of the opinion that something like that shouldn't be blended with another special occasion. To me, it takes away from both events..."

Maya just shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Uh huh."

"Its true! Besides, when I do it, I want it to be very special. You know, they complete opposite of how the Codester did it." He turned to his brother and grinned. "No offense, Bro, but the way you proposed to Bailey was one of the most shameful things I've ever heard of..."

That caught Cody off guard. "Huh? Shameful? How?"

"Think about it. You had just gotten out of surgery and had been knocking on death's door. Of course, poor Bailey's emotions were going to be especially fragile right then, and she was very vulnerable. It wasn't cool to play on them like that just to get her to say yes..."

Cody was speechless but Bailey began laughing. "Oh please! The only emotion he played upon that night was the fact that I loved him and wanted to spend my life with him. And Zack, you of all people know why he chose right then and there to do propose then. The reason he did makes it even more special to me than anything else he could have chosen."

He shook his head. "If you say so, Sis..."

"I do..." She smirked at him. "Besides, you should be thanking us for when you finally do drop down on one knee...Bro."

Zack gave her a look. "Okay, I have to hear your explanation for this one. Why would I thank you two?"

"Think about it. Everything else, we've done first. You name it, and we paved the way for you to do it later on. Living together? Check. Getting engaged? Check. Getting married? Check. And every single time, we've been the ones that have dealt with the brunt of Carey's reactions to it first. You think she was that upset at the thought of you two living together as she was with us? Of course not! She had already faced the emotions of one of her little men growing up and dealt with them. By the time you did it, she was okay with the idea."

Maya had to nod and laugh. "She does has a point there, Zack. Anything else we do, your Mom will already be okay with. The only thing left for us that we can do first is give her a grandchild."

Cody laughed. "And with us waiting until we're out of school, you might catch up to us and pass us by then."

Zack frowned. "Hold up there for a minute! No one here is ready for anything like that yet! I say we change the subject!" He paused and grinned. "So, tell me, Bro...did the in-laws treat you guys any differently now that you're married?"

"Not really. I mean, we did get our own room with a lockable door to sleep in, but everything else was pretty much the same..." He paused. "Well, almost..."

"What?"

"One night, one of the gifts Bailey gave me was a new Seattle Supersonics t-shirt. Everyone around there gave me pure hell about that. I guess years ago, I said I could never root for the Thunder after what their owner had done to the city of Seattle. Now, they asked me if I wasn't being a little hypocritical. How could I root for the new Sonics after what the city of Sacramento was going through?"

He paused and nodded. "Yeah, its kind of hard to swallow. Last week, the new Celtics were playing the Sonics. I felt confused because I felt bad rooting against either team. One is the team I grew up with, and the other is the one I adopted when we moved here."

Maya and Bailey just looked at each other and shook their heads. "Oh please!"

Zack gave his girlfriend a look. "This coming from the same person who once told me she kind of liked the Nets once they started playing in Brooklyn..."

"Yeah, yeah...How about we change the subject again?"

He grinned. "Fine. How about we talk about the fact that the Picketts are a lot more clever than I originally gave them credit for?"

Bailey sighed. "Thanks for the kind words about my family, but lets hear your reasoning for that statement. I betting its a good one...""

"Hey, I'm serious here! If you really think about it, what they did was pure genius! Face the facts. Us guys end up dying way before you girls will. Your family has already accepted the fact that you've become citified, Bailey, and that you are likely to stay around here once your done with school."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Think about it. Odds are that Broseph here will kick the bucket years before you do..."

She shuddered. "Gee, thanks. That's not a thought I really want to think about."

"I can understand that, but if Cody is to going to be worm food in Kansas, the odds are that you're more than likely going to be want to permanently be nearby so that you can visit him every day and feel close to him. They've found a way to get you to move back to Kettlecorn one day!"

Bailey paused. "Well...I hate to say that you're right..."

Cody interrupted her. "Wait a minute here! Who says I want to be buried anyways? I may want to be cremated or maybe even cryogenically frozen like Ted Williams and Walt Disney."

"If you do, get an urn or freezer big enough for two..." She paused and shuddered again. "Are we really talking about death? Can we please change the subject again to something that won't depress me?"

Maya smiled. "I tend to agree. Its a rather morbid topic, but leave it to Zack to think about it. Instead, what are you guys planning on doing today before the snow hits?"

"We actually have a lot to get done today."

"We really do. I'm heading off to the bookstore to pick up our new textbooks for our new classes for next Monday while Cody is taking Allie to the vet to get her spayed."

Zack couldn't help but laugh at hearing that. "I can't believe you guys brought back another cat. Are you a glutton for punishment, Bro? You finally start to get along with the one you already had, so you decide to go through it all over again. Plus, if you weren't married, I'd be really worry about you having two cats."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Everything will be just fine with Allie. I'm confident this one will go much easier with no attacks."

"If you say so..."

"Besides, having two around to keep each other company during the day should make things a lot more harmonious at home."

Bailey spoke up. "Anyways, after that, we're heading to the store to load up on food and supplies. Since we were gone for a week, there is hardly any food in the house right now. If everything goes according to plan, we should be pulling back into our garage about the time the meteorologist predicts the first flakes will begin to fall."

Maya nodded. "Good idea - if they're right. From my experience, they hardly ever are though." She checked her watch and sighed. "Speaking of the weather though, if we want to get to New York before its scheduled to begin falling there, we need to get going, Zack."

"Yeah, we should." He paused as he remembered something. "Oh yeah, Codester, while you're waiting at the vet's office, give Woodchuck a call. He called me on Christmas Day, but he was really trying to get a hold of you. He was afraid there was no cell phone reception in Kettlecorn, and he said he really needed your help with something big."

_New York City_

Late that afternoon, Maya and Zack finally arrived in Manhattan before the weather began getting bad and slowly eased their way through the gridlocked traffic until they got to the building in which she had grown up and her parents still lived. Fortunately, the garage attendant was expecting their arrival which meant parking the car was a cinch. When they got upstairs, hugs and handshakes were doled around as the Bennetts immediately tried to play catch up on what was going on in their daughter's life. And as it got later, they all went out to eat before calling it a night so that everyone could rest up after a long day. However, about two o'clock in the morning, Maya was awoken by a strange noise. Getting up, she went to investigate what it was and found her father looking out the kitchen window.

"Daddy, what's going on? What was that noise?"

Tony Bennett turned around and smiled at his daughter. "As far as I can tell, a car slipped on some ice on the street and crashed into some trash cans. Looks like you two got here at the right time. I would have hated if you two had to travel in these conditions."

She looked out the window herself to see everything blanketed in white. "Yeah, it certainly looks that way." She paused and laughed. "Well, that certainly woke me up. I hope I can eventually get back to sleep."

"I certainly hope so...its still early. Besides, are you telling me you don't hear random things on the streets of Boston that wake you up from time to time?"

Maya shook her head. "Not really. Remember, we do live on the 23rd floor after all. For us to actually hear something, it would have to be really big and really loud."

He paused to think before laughing. "Yeah, I guess so. So, how about some warm milk to help us both get back to sleep?"

She smiled. "Works for me. It always did when I was a little girl."

"Yeah, it did." He paused again and shook his head. "Of course, you're not so little anymore, and you're now a 22 year old woman. Seems like it was just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital."

"Well, it wasn't, Daddy."

"I know. So, be honest with me. How are things really going for you, Maya?"

She shrugged and smiled. "For the most part, they couldn't be better."

Tony gave his a daughter a look. "For the most part?"

Maya sighed. "Well, yeah, just one little bump in the road lately. You remember my old friend from school here, Will?"

He stopped to think again before finally nodding. "Yeah, I think I remember that kid."

So, Maya proceeded to tell her Dad everything that had happened over the past couple of months. "I guess I was just too blind to see what was really going on. But, I do now, and I've told him to leave me alone from here on out."

He shook his head. "I never did like that kid! Now, Sweetheart, if he does anything else, you let me know. Nobody and I mean nobody messes with my little girl!"

She smiled at him. "I appreciate the offer, Daddy, but I can take care of myself. I am after all a black belt now."

"That may be so, but that still doesn't mean that little punk won't have to deal with me too if he gets stupid again."

"Just forget about it, Dad. I may still live in the same city as him again now, but I doubt I'll run into him any more. And eventually, while I plan on staying in Boston, I'm sure he'll eventually move away which means I'll never have to worry about him ever again."

"My daughter is now a Bostonian..." He laughed. "Never thought I'd ever see the day."

Maya laughed too. "Oh, I'll still be a New York sports fan till I die, but Boston isn't nearly as evil as I once thought it was. Its actually a very cool town."

"I hope so...because that name will be all over your diploma when you graduate!"

She paused again. "Speaking of that. I have some more news that might not be so good. It looks like I won't be graduating until December of 2017 now. Unfortunately, due to a professor retiring and a change in the class schedule, I won't be able to get all the classes I need before then."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I know all about how that goes. Same thing happened to me back in the day."

"But Zack says it might be a good thing for me. That gives me another six months or so to figure out what I want to do after I do graduate."

Tony smiled. "You know, all you have to do is ask, and I can make some phone calls to some of the pro teams up there. I'm pretty sure I can get you a job just like that..."

She smiled. "I appreciate that too, Daddy, but I'm starting to think I'd rather do something where I wasn't on the road half the time. That works for you because Mom is able to go with you everywhere now, but I wouldn't want to be away from Zack that much. Besides, I really like what I'm doing now with rehab and would prefer to work in a sports medicine and rehab office."

He nodded. "I guess I can understand that."

"Plus, his grandmother thinks I might want to start my own office someday. And the more I think about it, I think I would like being my own boss. Plus, I'll have access to someone with a MBA to help me with the business side of things."

He smiled again. "I can definitely see you being very successful at that. You always were at everything you tried."

"Thanks, Daddy, but I think you're a little biased. Zack is too because he says the exact same thing."

He paused. "Speak of the devil, where is he? Didn't that noise wake him up too?"

Maya laughed. "Of course not! He's a very sound sleeper. For Christmas, I bought him an alarm clock that shoots water on him to make sure he wakes up. I'm pretty sure he could sleep through a bomb going off. You should get him to tell you the story of what he did on Christmas Day our senior year of high school when Moseby wanted him to be at work at 6 AM."

Tony laughed too. "I definitely will. He sounds like your mother in that regards. Early on in our marriage, she would sleep so soundly, I'd put a mirror underneath her nose just to make sure she was still breathing." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Oh well, we should probably try to get some sleep ourselves or tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Good call." She kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Sweetheart." After she left the kitchen, Tony finished drinking his warm milk. "Actually, Maya, I need to make a phone call tomorrow. I know of someone looking to expand their own clinic in a couple of years who could possibly use a business partner in a potential Boston branch..."

_Boston, New Year's Eve _

By four o'clock on New Year's Eve afternoon, Cody and Bailey had baby proofed their townhouse as best as they could in anticipation of their babysitting duties that evening. And that was fortunate as just as they finished, Maddie and Trevor showed up to drop little Zoey into their care. Of course, by the amount of stuff they brought with them (toys, baby food, diapers, mobile crib, mobile high chair, etc...), you would have thought Cody and Bailey were going to be keeping her for longer than just a day. And even though it was only going to be a day, when it was time for them to leave, Trevor essentially had to drag Maddie out of the house as she didn't want to leave her baby.

Even more fortunate for Cody and Bailey, Zoey seemed to be going fairly easy on them. She wasn't crying at all, and like Maddie had said right after she was born, she naturally took to Bailey. But Bailey wasn't too heartbroken when she learned she wasn't Zoey's favorite living creature in the house. Instead of her normal toys, Zoey was more focused on playing with Albert and Allie. And to Bailey's relief, the cats were very well behaved around the little girl and were very gently playing with her. They didn't even get mad when she yanked on their tails. Of course, Cody hadn't been worried in the least as he had earlier in the day bribed the cats with treats and future cans of tuna to ensure their cooperation in playing along. But, by seven o'clock the evening, they realized the fun times may be over as it was time to feed Zoey, then bathe her, and then put her to bed. So, to ensure everything was divided up fairly, they drew tasks to do out of a hat. Thus, Cody drew feeding and reading her a bed time story while Bailey got bath time and diaper duty.

So, once Zoey was fed, Cody began fixing the adult dinner. While he did that, Bailey bathed Zoey. And once she was cleaned up and in her jammies, they switched off as Bailey would take over cooking while Cody got Zoey to go to sleep. And as Bailey was chopping up some vegetable, the doorbell rang again. Opening it up, she saw Max standing there.

"Hey, come on in!"

"Thanks, and thank you again for letting me hang out with you guys again tonight. My grandmother is actually planning on going to bed by ten o'clock..."

Bailey smiled. "No problem. Besides, we'll gladly take another pair of eyes to keep on Zoey tonight. Cody's upstairs with her right now reading her a bedtime story while I finish dinner."

"Well, whatever you're cooking, it smells great."

"Cody and I have our own special recipe for tacos. I personally think their delicious."

Max smiled. "After Thanksgiving, I imagine they will be."

So, the ladies headed back to the kitchen where Bailey tended to the ground beef simmering on the stove top while Max sat on one of the bar stools. "So, did you guys have a good Christmas in Kansas?"

"Yeah, we did. Besides the usual, we found out the Cody's mom and my sister both got engaged over Christmas. So, we have a couple of wedding to attend in our future."

Max laughed. "Arwin proposed to Carey? Good for him!"

"Good for the both of them. From what we hear, he popped the question while they were on a Christmas Eve carriage ride over in Boston Common. Her having a personal life of her own has been so nice. She can focus on it and spend less time worrying about ours."

She nodded. "Not bad...not bad at all." She paused. "I just realized I've never heard how Cody proposed to you? Did he do something romantic like Arwin did?"

Bailey paused as she stirred the beef before she began laughing. "Well, sort of. I mean, on its face, it doesn't seem that romantic, but it really was. I absolutely loved it."

"What did he do?"

"He proposed to me from his hospital bed."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound too..." Max paused before her eyes went wide. "Hospital bed? What was he doing in a hospital bed?"

"Appendicitis. He collapsed on me right as we were leaving our last final the spring semester of our sophomore years." She smiled. "Once I found out he was going to be okay, I think I would have agreed to anything he said right then. But, he said after having a scare like that, he didn't want to waste another minute before making me his fiancee."

"Wow...I guess I can see that though. Yeah, not the most romantic thing in the world, but I can see the sentiment behind it. And it does certainly sound 100% like something Cody would do. Though, I do hope he did much better in the Christmas gifts he got you this year."

Bailey laughed again. "Oh yeah. Other than the things I had dropped mad hints to him on, he had three surprises for me that I never would have saw coming."

"Yeah, like what?"

She nodded over to the kitchen window. "Well, we were watching TV one night when one of those Chia pet commercials came on. I happened to mention that I knew it was silly, but I had wanted one of those since I was a little girl. Well, he must of remembered somehow as I opened up a box to find my very own Chia Einstein."

Max laughed. "Very nice. And again, very Cody."

"And similarly, we were watching TV another time when that commercial with the Ipads where they were playing Heart & Soul..."

She cut her off. "Playing what?"

"You know, the piano duet they did in the movie Big?"

"Oh yeah! The one they did on that big long piano pad. I always wanted one of those..."

"Anyways, I causally mentioned to him that I always wished I could have taken piano lessons when I was younger. Well, Christmas morning, I open a gift and find my very own keyboard along with a laminated card good for a piano less from Cody whenever I wanted one."

Max laughed again. "Smooth one, Cody. And, I can verify that he actually does know how to play the piano. He was the keyboardist in our band back in the day."

"Yeah, he's told me some stories. And, he wrote the piano part for a song that Jordin Sparks recorded."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, we met her on the boat."

Max shook her head. "The more I hear about that place, the more I wish I could have been there."

"A lot of people tell us that. Anyways, last but certainly not least, Cody gave me this..." Bailey pulled out her new necklace that had two intertwined hearts with two emeralds in the middle of them both.

"Ooo...very nice!"

"And it perfectly matches my engagement ring." And with that, Bailey showed Max her ring.

"Wow...I gotta give Cody credit for having such good taste."

From behind them, they heard a laugh. "Darn right I do!"

Both turned to see Cody standing there grinning at them.

"Is Zoey asleep?"

"You got it, and I have the monitor right here in case she wakes up. It was actually easier than I thought. I just told her the story of Hansel and Greg, and she was out like a light."

Max frowned. "Hansel and Greg? I thought it was Hansel and Gretel?"

Cody paused. "Artistic choice...and at least my version didn't have them mowing down witches with semiautomatic weapons..."

_New York City_

About the same time as Cody, Bailey and Max were sitting down for dinner, Zack and Maya found themselves sitting down at a table at a quaint little bistro in the Greenwich Village with Marcus and Courtney. Despite the harsh weather conditions outside, the city was still hustling and bustling with activity. And fortunately for the quartet, Marcus had made reservations well in advance as the restaurant was packed more than normal. As they made their drink orders, everyone looked out the window and could only shake their heads at the throngs of people making their way towards Times Square for the evening's festivities despite their being at least a foot of snow on the sidewalks.

"You sure you guys don't want to head down to see the ball drop again? I know its late, but I can make some phone calls if you do..."

Zack laughed. "No thank you! Do you not see the weather outside? Its snowing almost as hard right now as it was when Cody, Woody and I were in Antarctica. In fact, if it weren't for the neon lights on some signs, I could swear I was back there again."

"Yeah, I think I've heard that story before..." Marcus paused. "Is that when Woody almost went crazy and contemplated eating you two?"

"Yeah..." He paused too. "Well, one of the few times he did anyways."

"Hopefully, he won't have that urge when everyone comes here for Valentine's Day in a month and a half. Though, it will be glad to see everyone again."

Courtney nodded. "Its a shame everyone couldn't come down for tonight too. It seems like we don't get to see you guys as often as we'd like. I mean, its not like we live all that far away from each other."

Maya smiled. "While that's true, everyone is just super busy nowadays. I know we have been in Boston, and I'm sure you have been with law school."

She sighed. "You can say that again. This past semester has taught me that I really hate bell curves, and I've come to despise Socrates and his idiotic method of teaching. I'm just glad I only have a semester left of them telling me what I have to take. I thought this past semester was bad with Contracts, Torts, Criminal Law, Civil Procedure and Legal Research and Writing, but next semester will be Contracts II, Property, Constitutional Law I, Civil Procedure II and even more research and writing."

Zack paused and frowned. "Okay, I keep hearing about tort reform from all the talking heads on TV..."

Marcus laughed. "Yeah right!"

"Okay, I catch soundbites when I'm flipping the channels. What is a tort exactly?"

"Oh, its your basic civil lawsuits ranging from slip and falls to libel and slander to medical malpractice. Its really not all that exciting. Law school is actually rather boring."

Marcus shook his head and laughed. "Don't let her act like she hates it that much. She got a 3.60 this past semester and is in the top fifteen percent of her class. My girl is kicking butts and taking names!"

Courtney smiled at him. "Thank you, Marcus."

Zack laughed and held up his glass. "Hey, a 3.6 is outstanding! I somehow pulled off a 3.3 myself. And somehow, I'm in the top half of my class as well. And speaking of well our girlfriends are doing, Maya continues to dominate in the classroom while essentially running the BU fit&rec center. I say we toast to celebrate our good fortune."

Marcus just gave him a look. "You...Zack Martin...got a 3.3 at Harvard? You being the same person who couldn't even pull a 3.0 and barely stayed above a 2.0 at Seven Seas High? I ain't buying it!"

He shrugged. "I guess those who said I had potential if I would ever unleash it were right. Who knew?"

"Certainly not me. And I'm not sure if Tut would be proud of you or want to strangle you for not doing it sooner..."

Maya laughed. "Probably both...just like everyone else like his his Mom, his Dad, Cody, Bailey, Moseby..."

Zack cut her off. "Yeah, yeah..." He turned to Marcus. "How about you though? As the only non student here at the table, how have you been keeping yourself busy?"

Marcus grinned. "Oh, that's easy. I've finished the rough draft on my new musical based on our adventures back on the boat. After the first of the year, I have some people going to take a look at it to see what they think. If they're on board, I'll have to begin writing some new songs for it."

He shook his head and sighed. "Marcus the Broadway mogul. I should have known this was coming when you cleaned up that time we played musical charades. I was thinking...and praying that was just a fluke."

Marcus laughed again. "Thanks, Man."

"All I ask is that you don't pick some loser to play me when the time comes."

"Man, we're nowhere close to that casting anything yet. But, now that you mention it, the roles based on you and Cody will be the hardest ones to cast. I have absolutely no idea how many sets of twins are out there who both would want to audition and actually have some talent."

"I would myself, but like Maya said, I'm too busy. Just make sure the cool one plays me though!"

He laughed yet again. "If you say so, but then again, the one who plays the Cody character will be the main male romantic lead..."

"Cody and romantic lead don't belong in the same sentence!" Zack rolled his eyes and grumbled. "Just because he met Bailey our sophomore years and I didn't meet Maya until our senior year..."

"That, and nerds in love are the big rage nowadays. People have had enough of jocks in love who reform their ways in the final act. They want to see the underdogs win. But don't worry, I did include the story of you two in there as well. I'm hoping to get both the Can't Hardly Wait audience as well as the She's All That one as well."

Maya smiled. "Well, we look forward to it with eager anticipation."

Zack paused. "Yeah, I guess so. But I still wonder who in their right mind would want to see a show about Cody, Bailey and their romance..."

_Boston_

About eleven thirty that evening, Bailey and Max were sitting on the couch after having just watching the video of Cody and Bailey's wedding. Cody had been watching with them, but halfway through, Zoey announced to them over the baby monitor that she was awake and wanted some attention. So, since getting her back to sleep was his job, he headed upstairs to try to appease his goddaughter. But this time, he was going to try to get her back to slumber land in what he called a story based on true events called Beauty and the Geek.

"I have to say, Bailey, your wedding was absolutely beautiful. I just wish I had been there to see it in person."

"Thanks. While we planned it, I did worry a lot about how it would all turn out, but I couldn't have been any happier in how it did."

Max smiled. "Well, your vows were very heartwarming." She paused and sighed. "Unfortunately, I came to learn that several of the people in our touring company that were also married didn't share your same viewpoints on a few fronts."

Bailey shook her head. "I don't see why anyone would get married if they don't. I know I take mine very seriously, and I know Cody does too. Even before we got married, people learned the hard way that if you tried to come between us, things would not work out well for them."

"I'm glad. After seeing that, I really need to thank you again."

"For what?"

Max smiled again. "For what? Come on, I saw it on the video myself. My boy is absolutely nutso for you, and its obvious you are for him too. And in person, I've never seen him happier, and I know you're the reason for that."

Bailey smiled too. "Well, it works both ways."

"And that's why I'm grateful to you. Years ago, I worried about my boys and what would happen to them when they got older. With Tapeworm..." She paused. "I'm sorry, I just can't call him Dennis. Anyways, he was so shy and quiet that I wondered if he would ever be able to talk to a girl. But, after meeting Gertie, I know he has a keeper in her."

"Yeah, she's the best. London is one of my best friends and all, but Gertie was by far...other than Cody...the best roommate I ever had. She's the one who actually devised a plan to get him, so I know she truly loves him."

Max nodded. "Yeah, I could see that. And then there's Zack. I wondered if he would ever settle down with just one girl. And now, he's practically engaged himself. Thinking about it, Maya is exactly what he needed in his life. He needed someone who wouldn't put up with his antics but would rather help him focus his energies in a positive way. I mean, look at where he is now."

Bailey laughed. "Very true. I never thought I'd see him doing as well as he is. Back on the boat, it seemed he would much rather goof off or pull pranks than do his homework. And that would often get him into trouble...with very large female wrestlers."

"I can definitely see that! That sounds like the same Zack I remember when we were younger. But he's grown up and matured so much." She paused and laughed. "And then there is Cody. I remember fearing that some girl would take advantage of him because she could tell he was going to do big things in the future. I thought she would try to latch on for the ride while trying to mold him into being something he wasn't. But, I'm glad to see I was wrong. He's still just as goofy as ever...except that he's now about a half a foot taller than I am."

Bailey laughed again. "Yeah, I know. When we first started dating, I had to slouch to look him eye to eye. When his growth spurt hit, it took me a while to get used to looking up to him. But its so much better now, and I like to think I fit perfectly under his arm."

"I think you do. And I can tell you love him just the way he is."

"That I do. Sure, from time to time, he can do something that will drive me up the wall. But I also know that nobody in this world could ever know me or love me like he does. I keep saying it, but besides being my husband, he's also my best friend. And I know some people ask me if I don't ever get tired of seeing him all the time because we're in the same classes together and then at home together, but I never do or ever will. I think its going to come to a real shock to the both of us in a few years when we don't get to spend all of our time together."

Max smiled. "I think you two will find a way to deal with it."

She nodded. "Yeah, we will." She paused and began laughing. "You know, seven and a half years ago, when I first boarded the S.S. Tipton, I thought I was going to begin the educational experience of a lifetime. I had no idea how much that decision was going to change my life. Not only did I get said education, but I also made some of the best friends I'll ever have plus I met my soulmate. I shudder to think what my life had been like if I had been too scared to go through with it."

Max nodded but she looked pensive. "So, that one decision really change your whole life that much?"

"Yeah, it did. It taught me that taking a chance and taking a risk can be the best thing you ever do."

"Maybe I should try that for myself then?"

Bailey gave her a quizzical look. "What are you talking about, Max?"

She sighed. "Well, I haven't told anyone yet because I was still trying to decide for myself what to do, but I actually did go for an interview at the Boston Conservatory last week."

"Oh yeah? How did it go? Did you get in?"

Max paused again. "Sort of. They told me with all of my experience that I was much farther advanced than a lot of their new students they get who applied."

"Oh...Wait a minute, what do you mean by sort of then?"

"Well, they offered me the chance to test out of things I was already proficient in and move ahead to more advanced classes more commiserate with my abilities. Plus, they want me to help teach some of the beginning classes."

Bailey's eyes went wide. "That's amazing! Are you going to do it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I know its a great opportunity they've given me, but if I accept it, I'll be finally admitting to myself that my career as a dancer is officially over. Plus, I've always heard the expression that those who can't, teach. And I'm not sure I'm ready to close that chapter of my life just yet."

"I can certainly understand that. But look at it this way, no matter what you do choose to do, all of your friends will support your decision."

"I know, and I'm totally grateful for that. And while part of me would love go back on the road and be able to perform again, another part of me is relishing being back here in Boston among my old friends and new friends alike. I know they also say you can never go home again, but I feel like I have."

Bailey smiled. "Well, its certainly been nice finally getting to know you. For the past seven years, Cody kept telling me stories about his friend, Max, and it was finally good to be able to put a face to the stories."

Max laughed. "Thanks, I think. And, it has been nice to finally find someone who can actually give me a game in ping pong. I taught Cody as best as I could back in the day, but you are definitely a rise in level of competition..."

She laughed. "You did fine. You took me to extra points in that one game, and you probably haven't played in a while. I've played pretty constantly as Cody and I were four time intramural champs at Yale."

"I can definitely see that. Though, I am demanding a rematch once I get this brace off of my knee. I think it was definitely affecting my mobility!"

"You got it...as long as you make me a copy of the video of you and Cody at that dance competition. That may be the funniest thing I've ever seen before in my life!"

_New York_

About the same time, Maya, Zack, Marcus and Courtney were sitting around Marcus apartment in the warmth it provided as the snow continued to fall outside. The TV was on and turned to the festivities as a bottle of champagne had been popped with a glass poured for everyone.

"Here's to 2016, yet another leap year that will bring us another day this year to enjoy."

"Here, here!"

Marcus paused and laughed. "Okay, Zack, I do have to ask...what was the deal with that guy who was hounding you on the street outside of my building?"

Zack shrugged. "I don't know, Man. He acted like he knew me and started calling me, Julian. I had to show him my driver's license to prove to him that I wasn't who he thought I was. He just ended up apologizing before getting back on his bike to go deliver some cheesecake or something like that."

"If you say so. I thought it might have been someone you had upset or pulled a prank on back in the day."

"Nah. As far as I know, I don't currently have anyone out there who has any kind of grudge against me."

Courtney spoke up. "Well, how about we change the subject? I mean, there is only about thirty seconds left of 2015. I say we enjoy what we have left of it."

Marcus smiled. "Good call. Here's to 2015 – yet another year that somehow I've managed to convince the most beautiful lady I know to spend it with me. And here's to hoping I can convince her to do the same in 2016."

She smiled at him before leaning in and kissing him. "I think you have a better than average chance of that happening..."

Maya turned to Zack and grinned. "And here's to yet another year I get to spend with the man I love as well."

He leaned in and kissed her. "Right back at ya, babe. May 2016 be a year even more memorable than 2015."

At that moment, they heard the countdown beginning on the television. So, they all turned to join along. And when the clock struck midnight, they all once again shared a kiss with their respective significant others.

_Boston_

Meanwhile, with a couple of minutes left in 2015, Cody walked into the living room carrying a bottle of champagne and three classes.

"Made it back just in the nick of time. Zoey is once again asleep, and she has her two furry guards watching over her...or sleeping on the floor by her crib..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Good. Now, hurry up and pour us each a glass so we can make toasts."

So, he did and handed each of them a glass.

"I would like to propose a toast first. I would like to thank my beautiful wife for marrying me this year and making this the first New Year's I get to ring in with her as a married couple. I look forward to more and more of these as our lives continue to go on. Though, hopefully, someday, it will be someone else watching our children to give us some time to ourselves. I would like to also like to toast my friend Max who I hope will continue to stay in Boston and part of our lives."

Max smiled at him. "And I would like to make a toast as well. I know the song says something about lest old acquaintances be forgotten, but I like to think this is a celebration of being reunited with old friends as well as the new ones I've been able to make these past few months. So, here's to 2016 being a continuance of getting to spend more time with them, and I look forward to the new adventures it will bring to my life."

Bailey held up her glass. "And I would like to make a toast to my husband, Cody. Every new year I get to spend with you is even better than the last. And I too look forward to spending every single New Year's Eve with you for the rest of our lives. I know 2015 saw me finally getting to marry my perfect feller, and I eagerly look forward to seeing what 2016 has in store for us as well." She leaned in and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that, they heard the countdown beginning on their television as well. At the strike of midnight, they too all hugged each other as the welcomed in the new year.

In New York and Boston both, 2016 had finally replaced 2015, and with it came another year of new adventures, tribulations and joy. But by the time it would give away to 2017, several would find their lives in directions they never could have imagined.

_To be Continued..._


	17. Told You So

_Chapter 17_

_"Told You So"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Place, the Saturday morning after New Year's_

Even though they had enjoyed having Max and Zoey as their guests on New Year's Eve, both Cody and Bailey were happy to have a little time to themselves on New Year's Day. Trevor and Maddie showed up at their place a little after noon (both a little worse for the wear indicating they had had a fun evening) to pick up Zoey. And it was obvious that Maddie was happy to be around her little girl again as she wouldn't put her down and kept kissing the top of her head. So, while Bailey filled her in on the previous evening, Cody and Trevor disassembled and reloaded their car with all of Zoey's things. And about the same time they headed home, Max thanked them again for having her over before making the way to the subway herself.

That left Bailey and Cody the rest of that Friday afternoon to do whatever they wanted. But while everyone else in the country was watching college football bowl games that day, the duo decided to go ahead and be proactive by getting their reading for their new upcoming classes out of the way. And starting off the semester, they would have four classes going on simultaneously. Their Pursuing Inquiry in Medicine class would continue on on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons for the first three weeks of the new semester before a final paper was due while their Patient/Doctor I class would continue on Wednesday afternoons through the end of the semester in June. In addition to those two classes they were already familiar with, Monday morning would bring with it the beginnings of two new classes that would last four weeks each. From 8:00-10:15 every morning, they would have Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health. And following that class every day from 10:30-12:30, they would have Health Care Policy. Unfortunately, the only thing they didn't really care for was that the finals in both would be on the same day, Friday, January 29th. An even bigger kick to the teeth was realizing that day would be the Friday of the first week of classes for everyone else at Harvard.

By the next day, with all of their work for Monday already done, Cody and Bailey took the opportunity to enjoy a lazy Saturday morning. So much so that at ten o'clock, both were still in bed and didn't have any real inclination to change that fact. Instead, they just enjoyed curling up with each other under the warmth of their many blankets.

Bailey sighed in contentment. "Our last day of total and complete freedom before school starts back day after tomorrow..." She turned to look at her husband. "What do you think we should do today?"

He grinned at her. "I'm rather enjoying what we're doing right now, so I vote for us to stay in bed just like we are. You know the old expression – if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

She laughed. "Oh, you do, huh? I admit I am very familiar with that saying."

"It has lasted the test of time."

"That's true, but I'm guessing you may have ulterior motives. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think you wouldn't mind if King Louis had another visit from his favorite chambermaid, Babbette? Am I right?"

Cody had to laugh at that. "Ordinarily, you know I'd be all in favor of that. But, for that to happen, it would require you to get up out of bed right now, and I really would rather keep you right here with me. Now, I will take a rain check though..."

"Is that so?" She snuggled up closer to him. "If you ask me, I think you're just afraid the queen would walk in and catch them in the act..."

He leaned in to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear. "Nah, she's way too busy eating cake. Besides, the king tells me it was an arranged marriage that he didn't want in the first place. According to him, if he had his druthers, he'd send her to the guillotine and make Babbette his new queen five minutes later. You know, if she would have him..."

"I think Louis has spent way too much time around Henry the VIII even though they lived over two hundred years apart..." She grinned at him. "And while I don't advocate anyone losing their heads for any reason, I'm pretty positive Babbette would definitely jump at the chance to be Louis's new queen."

"Good. I know that's what he really wants. He promises he'd treat her like the queen she would be for the rest of her life..."

"He better! But, in return, she would treat him like the powerful king he was..." She grinned. "...and even keep her chambermaid outfit around for special occasions..."

Cody laughed. "Well, its like Mel Brooks once said in History of the World Part One – its good to be the king!"

"You think so?"

"With you as my queen, I'd conquer all of Europe and have them bow down to you." He grinned. "Even if I had to threaten to release the plaque on them again!"

Bailey laughed too. "You're crazy, you know that? And its like I once said, you definitely have those Martin devious genes. Fortunately for you, even with the constraints placed on you by the real world, I end up loving all of your crazy ideas."

He kissed her hand. "For that, milady, I'm grateful."

"I think we both must be a little nuts, but I love when we play around with each other like that. I'm not sure anyone else would enjoy that like we do."

"Me either. And I'm glad we're so comfortable and free with each other that we can freely get goofy and mess with each other like this no matter what others would think. I want you to know I'm always here to make all of your dreams and fantasies come true as well."

She leaned in and kissed him. "You already do both just by being you..." She paused. "Though, I do admit part of me is a tad bit concerned about what you have planned next for me. We both now Allie has fit in around here seamlessly, and she has shown that she holds no ill will towards you for having her spayed. I guess you won the double or nothing part of our bet too. I keep waiting for you to spring on me what your reward is..."

He laughed. "A little nervous are we?"

"A little..." She smiled at him. "...and very excited at the same time to see what you come up with this time. To be honest, I keep expecting to wake up one morning with my hair in buns and wearing a gold bikini..."

"That's definitely an idea..."

"I wouldn't mind that at all because I already know you would never do anything that you know would upset me or cause me embarassment."

"And I know you would never do anything like that to me either. For the record though, I still haven't come up with what I want yet."

Bailey gave him a questionable look. "Having trouble thinking of something?"

Cody grinned . "Hardly! Actually, its the exact opposite. Every time I get an idea that I love, I think of another one that I might like even more. I want to give this the proper amount of thought and consideratoin that it deserves before making a final decision." He paused and laughed. "Though, I will tell you, as of right now, a Catholic school girl and a naughty nurse are the clubhouse leaders..."

She just shook her head and laughed. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"When it comes to you, my dear, I'm guilty as charged. I will gladly serve my life sentence making you happy as my punishment."

She leaned in and kissed him again. "Then I will gladly accept being your warden and jailer."

"And I promise never to try to escape. I'd never want to. In fact, it might become a textbook example of the Stockholm Syndrome..."

"Where you become enchanted by your captor and never want to leave?"

"Uh huh. Bails, I love hanging out with our families and friends, but the best times of my life are the ones when I'm just hanging out with you. And it doesn't even matter to me what we're doing when we are."

"I know exactly how you feel, Sweetie."

"Which is why I want to take advantage of times we have like this. For the past several years, I've been extremely lucky that I not only got to spend my personal time with you but my professional time as well. I know we've got a few more years of that, but then things will change when we graduate from medical school. You'll be off doing your training in pediatrics while I'll be..." Cody paused. "...well, I'm not sure yet what I'll be doing yet. The point is I won't get to see you as often as I do now. And that doesn't even take in to account that we may find ourselves on different shifts or at different hospitals."

Bailey paused and frowned. "I hadn't thought of that before, but I definitely don't like the sound of that at all."

"Not much we can do about it..." He smiled. "We'll be the low people on the totem poles for at least a year working the long grunt hours that no one else will do. Unfortunately, if our schedules so dictate, we could go days without seeing each other. You might be sleeping while I'm working and vice versa. So, we really have to appreciate the time alone then that we get the next few years as much as we can."

She nodded. "I know we will. It might be rough for a year, but I'll cherish every moment I'll have with you."

"Me too. And even as we get more settled into our careers and get better hours, our personal time alone with each other will take another hit. Hopefully, we'll have children that will want and demand our time attention. It might not be until eighteen years after our last child is born that we'll have time like this again."

"You're right. And by then, we'll probably be close to fifty, and after having six kids..."

Cody shut her up with a kiss. "You'll still be the most beautiful and sexy woman in the world who's going to need to take her vitamins to put up with me..."

"Thank you, Cody Bear..." Bailey grinned. "You know what? I have an idea. I say we volunteer to babysit as much as we can now for others so that we can get them to return the favor when the time comes. That'll at least give us the occasional night just for ourselves..."

He laughed. "And you claim I have devious genes in my DNA! I think you're just as bad if not worse than me!"

She laughed too. "Maybe so..." She paused. "Though, I think we've gotten a long way away from my original question."

"Which was that again?"

"What do you want to do today?"

He paused and shrugged. "I already gave you my vote, but as long as I get to spend it to you, it doesn't matter to me."

In an instant, Bailey pounced on him and pinned his shoulders down leaving Cody surprised. "Bails, what the..."

She cut him off with a kiss. "You just gave the perfect answer to that question. And the more I think about it, your idea of us staying right here keeps sounding better and better to me."

Cody grinned. "Now look who is the incorrigible one!"

Bailey grinned back. "When it comes to my husband, I'm guilty as charged too. Have room for little ol' me in that cell with you?"

"Always..." He laughed. "Just be careful when you drop the soap in the shower..."

"Exactly what I had in mind..." She gave him a look that made Cody swallow.

"Ummm...Bails, you're looking at me right now like I'm a piece of meat."

She kept giving him the look. "And? What's your point?"

In an instant, he flipped the tables on her and had her pinned. "My point is I like it!"

_The Tipton Hotel, Monday evening_

Even though they both had enjoyed their all too brief visit to New York to visit her parents as well as Marcus and Courtney, Zack and Maya's trip had to eventually come to an end. And it was with great reluctance that they drove back to Boston on Sunday afternoon as both knew their time of leisure was over. While Zack didn't have to return back to class for another three weeks and Maya for another two, both had their jobs they had to return to on Monday morning. For Maya, it was back to the the same old and same old at the Boston University fit&rec center as she had scheduled appointments with both Gabby and Max that afternoon. And as for Zack, it was time for him to get re-acquainted with the staff and offices at London Inns. Like Moseby had predicted months before, Zack had found his studies taking up more and more of his time, and that meant less and less time he could spend at the office. In fact, for most of the fall semester, him being in the office more than twice a week was a rarity. But with three weeks of no classes looming ahead of him, he was expected to put in full forty hour weeks until school started back.

And working a full eight hour day was not something he was used to. So, that evening, when he finally got back to the suite that early evening, he was flat out exhausted. He had immediately sunk back in the couch when he got home, and it hadn't been home more than a few minutes later that the door opened again. Zack couldn't help but to smile thinking he was about to see his girlfriend again after a long day. However, instead of just Maya coming in alone, Max was walking in with her, and been seemed to be laughing about something.

Not wanting to be left out, Zack spoke up. "Did I miss something funny?"

Maya walked over and gave him a kiss. "Oh, nothing really, Babe. We just saw saw someone almost slip on a patch of ice outside. Fortunately, she caught herself in time and staid up on her feet, but in the process, she split her pants wide open."

He nodded. "I see. Well, with the way the wind is howling out there today, I bet she thought it was beginning to get a little drafty."

Max laughed. "You're probably right about that."

"Well, to what to I owe the honor of a visit from you today?

"Maya invited me over to join you two for dinner..." She laughed. "But, I have to forewarn you, after having dinner with Cody and Bailey the other night, the bar has been set pretty high."

"Sounds like we should probably order in something then..." Zack smiled at her. "Plus, it looks like we have a reason to celebrate. You're definitely seem to be in a better mood than the last time I saw you..."

"Thanks, I actually do feel pretty good nowadays. But once I tell you why I am, you'll probably give me a big 'I told you so'."

"I'm not used to getting those. What have I done to deserve this one?"

Max sat down next to him. "Well, don't let it go to your head, but I actually took your advice you gave me over Thanksgiving. About two weeks ago, I actually went over to the Boston Conservatory and sat down and interviewed with them. And to make a long story short, they must have lost their minds because they actually accepted me into their program..."

His eyes went wide. "Hey, congratulations!" He paused and laughed. "And...I told you so."

"Yeah, yeah. The real surprising thing is that thanks to the high school I went to and my career thus far, I'll be able to skip a lot of the early preliminary dance classes. If I can knock out a lot of the non-dance requirements this semester while I continue to rehab, I can actually begin next fall with almost a junior standing. And even crazier, they want me to help out with some of the beginning classes too since I have actual performance experience and can relate my experiences to all the newbies."

Zack grinned. "Now, aren't you glad you actually listened to me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I knew I was never going to hear the end of this. But don't get too cocky and take try to take too much of the credit here. A lot of it goes to Bailey too."

Maya spoke up. "Bailey? What did she do?"

"Well, I hung out with her and Cody on New Year's Eve and helped them watch little Zoey that night. Anyways, while Cody was putting her down to sleep, I told Bailey all about the offer they gave me, and she actually convinced me to give it a shot."

"How did she do that?"

"It was actually kind of easy. All she did was tell me about how she dared to take a risk in going to the cruise ship to go to school. She said it was the most life altering decision she could have ever made and how grateful she was because because she had. That one choice ended up giving her life long friends as well as the love of her life."

Maya smiled. "I can vouch for the same decision for me leading me to getting those same rewards as well."

"Yeah, I guess so. Now, I have no idea if me choosing to do this will affect my life like that, but I figured I might as well give it a shot."

Zack grinned. "Either way, it'll be good to have you back in Boston again. Once your knee heals, it'll be nice to actually have someone who can actually give me a game of one on one in basketball again."

"You're on!" Max paused. "Right after I finally beat Bailey in ping pong."

"Good luck with that. She's a freak in that regard. I mean, how else would you explain her ability to carry Broseph to four straight intramural titles."

She laughed. "Zack, your brother isn't that bad. He's a lot better than he used to be."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

"I did hear about your rowing adventure too..."

"Yeah, don't remind me."

She smiled. "See, that's why I'm in a better mood. I'll get to be around to see you guys do more stupid things. I've missed that..." She teased him. "And I'm really looking forward to seeing you and Cody's interactions again. Something tells me he might get the best of you a lot more often nowadays..."

Zack just gave her a look. "Yeah right!"

Max laughed. "Oh yeah, this is definitely going to be fun."

Maya laughed too. "I think so too. Having someone else around that will constantly pick on Zack and unmercifully tease him sounds great to me as well."

He turned to his girlfriend. "Hey!"

But she just smiled at him. "Yeah, Babe?"

Zack shook his head and sighed. "Nothing..."

Max continued. "And if all that wasn't enough, I actually got a call from my agent on Saturday afternoon. It seems that my old touring company has made a final offer to buy me out my contract and fully and finally settle any possible claims I could have against them. And with the amount their offering me, I should be able to find my own place this summer a lot closer to school. No offense to my grandmother, but..."

"I can understand that. Hence why I jumped at the chance of this place to get away from Mom."

"She's not that bad. But since the Boston Conservatory is only a couple blocks east of Fenway, I'm hoping to find a place in that neighborhood so I'll be able to walk to some games too!"

He shook his head again. "Great! Everyone is moving over to that side of town. You're going to become one of those freaking west siders."

She gave him a look. "You act like that's a bad thing. Besides, Zack...it would makes sense for you and Maya to move over there too. Both Boston U and Harvard are over there, and you'd be a lot closer to your classes."

"And give up a perfectly good and free suite here? Did I mention that its free? I'll pass! There was a band that had wrecked this place, but I put in a lot of hard work getting this place back to ship shape condition..."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, Max. Cody and Bailey were the ones that actually repaired everything and repainted this place initially."

Zack gave her a look. "Well, I was going to help them, but I got a little distracted by a surprise visitor right when it was time to begin working on it."

"Yeah, yeah. Still doesn't mean you didn't any of the heavy lifting. The only real improvement you've made to this place is to get Arwin to install that invention of his that lowers the toilet seat after you flush it."

"Maybe so, but that little thing has kept me from getting yelled at, now hasn't it?"

Max just laughed. "Wow, you two already sound like a married couple yourselves. This going to be so fun to get to watch on a daily basis..."

_Harvard Medical School, that Friday morning_

The first full week of the spring semester at Harvard Medical School was coming to an end. And about a quarter till eight, Cody, Bailey and C.J. were sitting in their seats waiting for their first class of the morning to start. The were mostly just talking about their Christmas breaks when they noticed a very agitated Gabby sit down next to them. And not only did she seem upset, but she was wearing a baseball hat and had wet hair.

Bailey frowned. "Everything okay, Gabby?"

She sighed. "No, not really. I really hate the medical school dorm. First, the power flickered off sometime during the night which reset my alarm clock. Fortunately, I had the alarm on my cell phone set to be an emergency backup. And then I only had about five minutes of barely lukewarm water this morning in the shower. If that wasn't bad enough, I think I tripped a fuse in what they call a poor excuse for my bathroom. I tried to towel try my hair as best I could, but I didn't have time to get it completely dry. And of course, I had no time to do anything with it other than put in a ponytail and throw on a hat."

Everyone cringed. "That sucks..."

"You guys have no idea how lucky you are to have the places you do. I flat out refuse to live in the dorm again next year. I don't know how yet, but I'm going to find somewhere else to live."

"Well, if you want, we'll keep our eyes and ears open to anything that comes available."

She sighed again. "Thanks, I'd appreciate that. I'm actually looking forward to my rehab appointment this afternoon so I can actually take a real hot shower."

C.J. laughed. "Well, if it ever happens again, you know you can give me a call. I have an extra shower you can use..."

Cody nodded. "Same here..."

Gabby smiled. "Thanks, but be careful, I may just take you guys up on that."

"Anytime..."

She shook her head. "I really wish I had looked into that place better before I moved in. This was the final straw that broke the camel's back for me..."

That caught Bailey's attention. "What else is there?"

"Well, I'm on the third floor, but that hasn't stopped there from being a...rodent problem as well. I hate mice!"

Cody grinned. "Want us to bring our cats over for a little while?"

"Again, I may take you up on that. Growing up in Arizona, I can handle lizards or scorpions..."

"Scorpions?"

"Yeah, but they aren't so bad...unless they're the really little ones. Those are the ones you have to worry about. And we even had snakes that I could deal with..."

Cody shuddered. "Snakes...I hate snakes."

C.J. laughed. "Problems there, Indy?"

"No, I just had an unfortunate up close and experience with a large constrictor. I've hated them since then..." He shivered. "Its almost like I can still feel it trying to squeeze the life out of me..."

Gabby laughed at that. "Anyways, the air conditioning was hit or miss in the summer, and I'm not too confident about the heat right now. So, this was the third strike. I'm done with that place."

_Kettlecorn, almost two weeks later_

While she had actually enjoyed being back on the farm for a few weeks, Amy was by then eagerly anticipating heading back to Boston so she could resume her life as a college freshman. And even though her flight back wasn't scheduled to leave Tulsa until Friday evening, she found herself already packing up her bags on that Thursday morning. As she was zipping up her last bag, she sensed that she wasn't alone in her room any longer. Looking up, she saw her grandmother standing in the doorway smiling at her.

"Hey, Grammy. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, Dear. I just stopped by to see if you needed any help getting your stuff together, but by the looks of it, you're pretty much already packed."

Amy smiled. "Well, what is the old saying you kept telling all of us when we were younger? Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today?"

Grammy laughed. "So I did. Who knew you girls were actually listening? Either way, it sure looks like you can't wait to get back up to Boston though."

She shrugged. "Well, its no secret that I've never been a huge fan of life on the farm. I've really enjoyed being back here and seeing everyone again, but for the past few months, I've really enjoyed living back east. Life is so much different and exciting there, and I think I've finally found an environment I can thrive in. There just so many things that I've missed since I've been back here over break."

Grammy gave her a look. "Certain things or certain people?"

Amy just shook her head. "I'll go ahead and stop you right there! No, there is not anyone special back at school that I can't wait to see again. I spent all last semester making sure I could hack it at Harvard before I would even entertain the thought of allowing myself to get distracted by members of the opposite sex."

She laughed. "Oh, I think you've answered the question of whether you can hack it without a doubt. All those A's you got seem to tell me that you're going to do just fine."

"Well, I worked my butt off to get those. It wasn't easy, but I actually enjoyed the challenge."

"I know you did." Grammy paused. "But now that you know you can handle the workload..."

Amy just smiled. "If it makes you feel any better and get you off my back, I have already decided I will open up the possibility of meeting someone this semester. Happy now?"

"Sweetheart, I won't be totally happy until you find your special someone. I just want all my grandchildren to be happy, and you're my only grandchild that hasn't seemed to find that yet. Just look at your sisters. Seven of them are happily married, one is recently engaged, and your other one is in a relationship with a very nice young man."

She laughed. "Yeah, Daphne told me all about how you and Mike's grandmothers played matchmaker for them!"

Grammy laughed too. "Guilty as charged! But, we both knew we had wonderful grandchildren who we thought might get along well with each other. And when Mike's parents moved back here to Kettlecorn last year, we decided to do a little scheming of our own. But to be fair, we just gave them the push towards each other, and they took it from there."

"Uh huh. Please tell me you and another one of your friends aren't scheming again and have someone in mind for me that you're trying to push me towards."

She shook her head. "Wouldn't work if we tried. In a lot of ways, you're a lot like your sister, Bailey. You're going to do things and live your life by your own terms despite what everyone else might think."

"Well, that seemed to work out pretty well for her, didn't it?"

Grammy smiled. "Oh, most certainly. No one around here could ever tame the either one of you. And you're right, she went off to that boat and found her perfect feller. I couldn't imagine anyone better for her than Cody as its no secret that I've become quite fond of him. But, she had to leave Kettlecorn to find him, and I'm hoping you have the same kind of luck that she did."

"So do I, Grammy. I know I tease those two constantly, but I would love to have something like they have together one day."

"You will. You just need to open your eyes now and see what all is out there."

Amy smiled. "Precisely my plan."

"Good..." She paused and laughed. "So, tell me more about this dog that you were all curled up with in that picture Bailey showed us."

She shook her head and sighed. "I am so going to get her back for that!"

"I have no doubts about that, Honey."

"But as for your question, the dog's name is Rufus. He may look pretty scary, but he's really just a big teddy bear. He belongs to C.J., who is one of Cody and Bailey's medical school classmates and neighbor."

Grammy paused. "Is he the one that is your age and already has a doctorate degree dealing with brains?"

"That's him. And while that would seem to indicate he some kind of freak of nature, he's actually a really nice guy. He saved my butt a couple of months ago when my laptop began self destructing on me."

"Oh really? Hmmm..."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Save it, Grammy! He's just a friend of mine, and that's all!"

Grammy held up her hands. "I didn't say a word!"

"You were thinking it though! Can we please change this subject?"

"Of course. How about you tell me what kind of classes you're looking at taking this semester."

"Thank you. Well, I spoke with Beth a couple of days ago, and we're going to try to schedule a few classes together again. With that in mind and after pouring through the school handbook and schedule of classes for the spring, I think I found myself a schedule I hope my adviser will approve. If she does, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I would have Computer Science 50 - Introduction to Computer Science I from 10:00 to 11:00. Not only will it satisfy my Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning requirement, I figured that after last semester, knowing something about how computers really work would be useful. And then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10:00 to 11:30 in the morning, I would have Ethical Reasoning 12, Political Justice and Political Trials. It would satisfy my Ethical Reasoning requirement."

Grammy nodded. "Both sound really interesting, though I'm pretty sure I'd be way too old to understand two words in that computer class."

"You'd end up doing better in there than I will. Anyways, if I get the other two classes I want, I should have all eight of my eight university prerequisites areas done and over with. From my sophomore year on, I can begin worrying about knocking out classes in my major."

"And what's that?"

Amy sighed. "Still no clue yet. But back to what I was saying, knocking out my Societies of the World requirement would be Government 20, Foundations of Comparative Politics on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:30. And to take care of my Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding requirement, I plan on taking Folklore and Mythology 90i, Fairy Tales and Fantasy Literature."

She laughed. "Harvard actually offers a class on fairy tales?"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure it will be a lot more thorough than knowing the basic plots of every animated Disney movie. Last but not least, the final class I hope to take is my freshman seminar that asks the question of are men and women really from different planets and speak different languages."

Grammy laughed again. "Well, I'm almost positive that conversation all us ladies had a couple of weeks ago went much different that the ones all the guys had the same night. So, I'm really looking forward to what you guys come up with in that class."

Amy could only nod. "You and me both, Grammy. I know what Bailey and Momma have told me, and I've overheard somethings Daddy and Cody have said. Sometimes, I really do feel like the genders are speaking two different languages. It seems both think they have the upper hand on the other and can outsmart them."

She grinned. "Probably so, but the task is to find someone you can actually communicate with and understand them. Who knows, maybe what you will learn will help you find your own feller?"

"Grammy! I thought we had changed the subject?"

Grammy laughed. "Whatever you say, Dear..."

_Cody and Bailey's Place, Saturday morning_

Even though everyone else in Boston had yet to begin their spring semesters, Cody, Bailey and the rest of their classmates celebrated the halfway point of their first two classes by taking two midterms on that Friday morning. As they walked out of them, both felt really good about how they did all things considered. Even though they had only been in school for two weeks, both tests covered a ridiculous amount of information. Unfortunately for them though, their days were just getting started. For starters, the Boston area was once again due to get hit by another severe winter storm that afternoon, and that necessitated another trip to the grocery store to replenish their shelves. And even once that task was completed, neither could just call it a day and ride out the storm from the safety and warmth of their townhouse.

Amy's flight back to Boston was scheduled to land early that evening, and Bailey and Cody were given the honor of picking her up at the airport. However, several times throughout the afternoon and evening, Amy kept calling them to tell them that her flight kept being delayed due to the storm. So, until they got the call that she was on her way, there was nothing they could really no. Finally, about midnight, she called them a final time and told them that her flight was about to board and hopefully take off. With that finally settled, they put on another pot of coffee and did their best to stay awake for the next several hours. About two o'clock, they knew it was time to head out, and after checking the road conditions outside, they decided it would be prudent to take the subway over to Logan to meet her instead of risking driving. Fortunately for them, the weather kept many of the undesirables and drunks who would normally be on the subway at that time of day away. So, at about three o'clock that morning, Cody and Bailey were leaning against each other as they sat in the baggage claim trying their best not to fall asleep. However, when Amy finally arrived, she had to shake both of them awake. Due to all three of them being half asleep and completely exhausted, they gathered her bags as quickly they appeared on the belt and headed downstairs to the subway terminal where they caught a train back home.

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were up about ten o'clock having breakfast when Amy finally rejoined the land of the living.

Bailey smiled. "Well, well. About time you finally got out of bed..."

Amy glared at her sister with her most evil look. "In case you forgot, yesterday was the longest day in the history of mankind. I swear it seemed to last forever!"

Cody sipped his hot chocolate and mumbled to himself. "Seriously doubtful. Until you keep living it over and over at least eighty times, I don't want to hear it..."

She turned her glare to her brother-in-law. "What did you just say?"

He looked up and was the malice that was in her eyes. "Ummm...Nothing." He paused trying to find a way to get away from her as soon as possible. "You know what, I think I'm going to head outside and shovel the driveway...and the steps...and the walk. See you ladies in a little while..." And with that, he kissed Bailey on the cheek before making a quick retreat outside.

Amy sat down at the table and started fixing herself a plate of what was still on the table. "I swear that year you guys got stuck in Atlanta was half as bad as last night. Its like it would never end..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, you're not the only one who had a long day yesterday. We actually had two midterms in the morning before heading off to the store so we'd have food in the house. So, while I do feel some empathy for you, its not that much.."

She just gave her a questioning look. "Midterms already? I don't even start for another week, and you guys are already having tests. Sucks to be you guys!"

"Yeah, well, our finals in those classes will be your first Friday of classes. We don't mess around in medical school."

"I guess not. Though, if I think about it, I would want my doctor to have as much time in class and learning as much stuff as possible."

"Exactly!"

"So, other than school, what have you two been up to the past few weeks?" She grinned. "Get into anything interesting? Like...some cleaning?"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Cody and I have enjoyed the time we've had off, but we've thrown ourselves back into school once it started back. Now, we have gone over to Boston Common to skate on the ice rink there a couple of times on the weekends."

"I didn't know you knew how to skate. You used to always fall down back on the frozen watering hole..."

"Well, back on the farm, we didn't have real skates. You have no idea how much easier it is when your using the proper equipment and not old rototiller blades tied to our shoes."

"That's probably true."

She smiled. "Besides, Cody's been teaching me, and I think he's done a wonderful job. I'm no Olympic figure skater yet, but I no longer fall on my butt every five minutes now. Besides, we were thinking of going over there later today. You're welcome to join us if you like."

Amy shook her head. "No thanks. One, I need to try to double check my schedule one more time before I meet with my adviser on Tuesday. And two, I have no desire to go outside right now! Its miserable out there!"

Bailey couldn't help but laugh. "You think this is bad right now? We haven't even gotten to February yet! You're going to be in for a rude awakening when you have to walk to class in conditions a lot worse than these. All of this is just snow. Wait until we get the ice storms which are much, much worse in my opinion."

She shivered. "I'll worry about them when they actually come. I think I'll just stay here at cat sit."

"Like that's a tough job. All those two are going to do all day is pretty much lie around, sleep, get up to eat, then find another place to get comfortable and fall asleep again."

Amy grinned. "Sounds like a perfect plan to me!"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "I should have figured..."

Grabbing a biscuit, Amy reached for some jam when she noticed a jar without a label on it that continued a golden colored substance in it. "What's in that jar?"

"Oh, that's apricot preserves."

Amy began laughing. "And you can manage to have it out on the table and not begin throwing up by just looking at it? Wow!"

Bailey rolled her eyes again. "Oh please, that was a long time ago. Plus, Cody loves the stuff, and he actually made it and jarred it himself. And I mean he really loves that stuff - he eats at least a little bit of it every day."

"Maybe so, but I still remember the one time you tried that stuff when we were kids. You began spewing chunks so much that I thought I was watching the Exorcist..."

"Because I had a stomach virus at the time!"

Amy laughed. "Yeah, that maybe so, but you would never look or touch that stuff ever again. I'm surprised you're so calm about it now,"

"Well, in marriages, you have to learn to accept some things..." She smirked at her sister. "And as I recalled, I wasn't the only one who stayed clear of that stuff!"

"Cause I actually tried it a few times and had enough evidence that I knew I hated the stuff. You only tried it once while you were sick and have banished it to your hate list ever since." She smirked back at her. "I bet you couldn't try it again without throwing up!"

Bailey glared back at her sister. "I'll show you!" She grabbed the bottle and spread some of the golden substance on a piece of toast. "I'll try it again and prove that I'm not afraid to give it a second chance!"

She looked down at it for a few seconds before Amy laughed again. "Uh huh...Should I get you the barf bag I grabbed from the plane yesterday?"

That set Bailey off, and she quickly took a bite of her toast just to spite her sister. But that's when the funny thing happened. Instead of it tasting nasty like she had remembered and expected, it was actually really good.

"Huh...How about that..."

"How about what?"

"Its...well...this stuff is actually really delicious. No wonder Cody eats it so often."

Amy shook her head and laughed. "If you say so...I think the cold weather around here has numbed your taste buds."

"No, I'm serious. Its really, really good. Now that I think about it, I guess that stomach virus back then did a number on my taste buds because this tastes completely different than I remember..." She grabbed the jar and got herself some more. "I need to tell Cody to make more of this stuff."

Her sister couldn't help but to laugh. "And they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and now you want your husband to make more stuff for you. I always knew you two were weird!"

Bailey paused. "Maybe there is another reason for this though. When you mature, its is a scientific fact that your tastes and food preferences do change. What used to taste really good to you loses its luster, and stuff you once hated actually begins to taste good."

Amy paused. "So, its kind of like how we used to love to get Happy Meals at the McDonad's in Kettlepot whenever we would go there as kids, but now that were older, we can't stand that place any more and realize just how bad it really is?"

"That's exactly what its like!"

_To be Continued..._

__**AN: Being snowed in here so far this weekend, I've completed rough drafts up through Chapter 22. So, I should be finishing season one of SLOTY some time soon. I would offer another chapter depending on who wins the Super Bowl, but I could honestly care less who wins tomorrow night. Oh well...hope everyone has a good February, I think its going to be a rough one.**


	18. The Cat is Out of the Bag

_Chapter 18_

_"The Cat is Out of the Bag"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's neighborhood, a couple of days later_

While Cody and Bailey had to return back to class on Monday, Amy was enjoying being back in Boston and having absolutely nothing to do. Well, that wasn't entirely true. On Monday morning, she caught the subway over to campus and met up with her freshman adviser who thankfully quickly signed off on the proposed schedule she had come up with. Feeling good about that, she decided to treat herself to some lunch just off of campus before heading back to the townhouse. And since she had planned on having a few classes with Beth, she called her and gave her the good news that they had been given the go ahead. Right before she hung up though, Amy did verify with Beth that her flight into Boston would arrive on Thursday afternoon and promised she'd be there to meet her. Their plan was to cab it back to Cody and Bailey's place and wait for those two to get home from class. Once they did, they would load up both of the girl's stuff and drop them off outside of their dorm. With their plan firmly scheduled, Amy hung up and sat back and relaxed. For the next three days, she would really have absolutely nothing she had to do. About a half hour later, she finally returned back to Tiptontown figuring that Cody and Bailey would probably be home from class by then. But before she could make her way to the front door, she saw two familiar faces and smiled.

"If it isn't Beauty and the Beast..."

C.J. laughed. "You need your eyes checked if you were calling me Beauty."

"Oh, I wasn't. I was actually referring to Rufus..."

"Oh..."

Amy laughed. "Oh, settle down...I was just pulling your chain. Its actually really good to see you two again."

"Likewise...even though you took your sweet time in finally returning to Boston."

She kept laughing as she reached down to scratch Rufus' ears. "Well, since my classes don't start back until Monday, I didn't have a pressing need to return back until now. And even then, unlike you, I still have the rest of this week to do whatever I want. Don't be jealous that you've already been back in school for over two weeks and already had two midterms."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Some of us don't have classes this semester than end in 101 or contain the words 'Introduction to...'. Some of us actually have real classes to attend."

"Hey, don't blame me because you were an overachiever! I still have to knock out all of these prerequisites before I can take real classes. I didn't make the rules, I'm just following them."

C.J. laughed. "Fair enough. I guess I can't give you too much of a hard time about it as I had to take them myself back in the day. I keep remembering them telling us that all of those prerequisite classes were supposed to make us more well rounded individuals who would be able to engage in in depth conversations about a myriad of topics..." He shook his head. "What a load of crap!"

Amy laughed too. "Well, after seeing how well you turned out after taking them, I'm thinking I shouldn't hold out too much hope of them giving me a diverse and balanced education either."

"Probably not. Then again, you could be one of those rare individuals who actually discovers what they want to do for the rest of their lives in those classes."

She sighed. "That would be really nice. Even after a semester, I still have no idea what I want to declare as my major. And they keep saying I should by the end of my freshman year if I want to be out of here in four years."

He smiled. "Well, the worst thing you can do is pick something because you feel pressured to."

"Speaking from personal experience? Did you choose your current path because your Dad is a doctor too?"

C.J. laughed agin. "Not quite. I've wanted to be a doctor since I watched Scrubs as a kid, and my Dad figured whatever got the job done was okay in his book. However, he wasn't too happy to hear that I prefer to deal with the brain over dealing with the heart like he does. But, I think he's finally getting over it especially since I did something he was never able to accomplish."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"I actually got into Harvard Medical School! He got rejected by them and had to settle for Stanford."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh, the horror of that. Such a nightmare to have to go to the fourth best medical school in the country instead of the best one..."

He shrugged. "Well, at the time, it was for him. He was heartbroken..." He paused. "Though, I'm really glad it worked out that way as Stanford is where he ended up meeting my Mom..."

She decided to tease him again. "Yeah, well, the rest of the world is still undecided on whether or not that was a good or a bad thing."

C.J. winced. "Ouch...That was a low blow!"

"I'm just kidding again. You need to learn to get used to it. Anyways, how was your break back in land of the wackos known as California?"

He could only shake his head again. "It was fine. I even got to go to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day to watch my Cardinal defeat the evil Ohio State Buckeyes. Of course, Rufus and I had to fly back here the next day, and he's made it clear to me that he would prefer to never fly again."

Amy reached down to scratch his ears again. "Awww...poor baby."

"So, how was the holidays back in Kansas...the...ummm...the land of farmer's daughters?"

"Huh?"

C.J. laughed. "Well, to be fair, I only know two people from Kansas, and both you and Bailey are the daughters of a farmer..."

"Touche. And my break was fine as well. But, from what I hear, you're not likely to meet many more of us Kansans around here either."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, according to our freshman guidebook, in my class of about 1,600 students, the only ones from Kansas are me and some guy from just outside of Kansas City. Based on that, I'd say there are maybe a total of ten people from my home state who attend this entire university, and you already know two of them."

"Interesting. That number seems really low."

"It does, but my guess is that not many people from back home have any interest in leaving home and moving to the coasts. I'm not sure why though as I was more than ready to get back here. I really missed this place while I was home." She paused and shivered. "Well, except for the weather. I could do without all of this snow."

"Yeah, you and me both. I mean, just look at Rufus. If you ask me, he's not wagging his tail because he's happy to see you. I think he's shivering."

Amy looked down at the dog and frowned. "Et tu, Rufus? And here I thought you missed me too..."

Rufus jumped up and licked her face which caused C.J. to laugh. "Okay, maybe its more like fifty-fifty. Anyways, I'm thinking I should get him one of those little kegs to wear under his chin like St. Bernards wear in cartoons. That way, I can fill it with hot chocolate to keep me warm while I have to take him out for walks..."

She laughed. "I think I'd pay to see that."

"Well, I should probably get him inside before he begins whining on me. It would be a pitiful sight to see such a proud, fierce dog like him reduced to having to do that. We didn't get a lot of snow in Palo Alto, but I'm hoping if I give him enough time to get used to it, he'll eventually learn to deal with it."

"If he doesn't, I won't blame him at all because I'm cold now too and want to go inside. It was good seeing you two gentlemen again, and I'm guessing I'll probably see you guys around, huh?"

C.J. smiled. "Well, you know where we live." He paused. "You have been taking care of your laptop, right?"

"Yes, I have. I run a virus and malware scan at least once a week." She grinned. "But in case something else does happen to it that baffles me, I know who to turn to to fix it for free."

He rolled his eyes. "Do I look like a member of the Geek Squad to you?"

Amy kept grinning. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

He sighed. "I'd rather you didn't...Have fun moving into your dorm and having to actually attend classes again."

"Oh, I will. Something tells me this is going to be an interesting semester for me."

_Harvard Business School, the following Monday_

In years past, returning back to school after winter breaks were one of Zack's least favorite things to do. To have to go from doing almost nothing to having to sit through classes again with homework assigned had always been very an unpleasant experience for him. However, having had to work full time for the past three weeks at London Inns to catch up on the work he had missed the previous semester, he was actually looking forward to classes starting back that day. More than anything, he was ecstatic to move back to a routine that wasn't as structured and would require less of his time. But the dawn of a new semester wouldn't be all hearts and flowers for him. He knew that even though he had done pretty well his first semester, none of that would mean anything for the upcoming one. And looking him square in the face were new challenges in his new courses of Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE); Strategy; the Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM); Finance 2 and Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA). In addition to to those, he would be continuing his Field class which would culminate in bringing the entire first-year experience together by challenging his group to synthesize the knowledge, skills and tools acquired within a microbusiness they must design and launch themselves. So, needless to say, while he wouldn't be working forty hours a week, he was still looking at a busy spring semester.

His first class back that Monday morning was his Finance 2 class, and as per usual, Maya wanted him to start off on the right foot and had made him get up extra early to make sure he got there on time. And when he got there, he found Amanda was already there as well and took a seat in the desk next to her. And when she saw who it was, she smiled at him.

"Hey stranger. How was your break?"

He paused before answering. "It was actually pretty good until after New Year's. After that, Moseby had me working full time for the past three weeks playing catch up."

She laughed. "Awwww...poor baby. I had to do the same thing for my Dad, and you don't see me complaining."

"Yet. Don't tell me you actually had fun doing that?"

She paused and sighed. "Okay, you got me there. I pretty much sucked, and I was actually happy to be returning back to school today."

Zack laughed this time. "Hey, for the first time in my life, I can completely understand what you mean on that."

"I bet a lot of people around here can. So, you're break was pretty good before then?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I mostly hung around the hotel until Maya and I went to visit her folks in New York City for a few days."

Amanda grinned. "Ahhh, so went to stay with the future in-laws. How did that go?"

"It was fine..." He smirked. "Unlike some people, they actually really like me and think I'm a responsible young man of high character and promise."

She laughed. "Wow, you sure have them fooled!"

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. You have your moments when you do resemble that description somewhat."

"Thanks, I think. So, what all did you get into over your break?"

"Oh, not too much..." She grinned and held out her hand. "...other than the fact that I got engaged!"

Zack's eyes went wide. "Woah! Congratulations! Did you have any idea that it was coming?"

Amanda shook her head. "None. But right at midnight on New Year's Eve, Jake handed me a class of champagne in it with the ring sitting at the bottom of it."

He laughed. "You see, that's more like its supposed to be done! When Arwin proposed to my Mom, he..."

She cut him off. "Your Mom is engaged now too?"

"Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that tidbit, didn't I. Anyways, he did it while out on a horse drawn carriage ride on Christmas Eve. And Cody told me one of Bailey's younger sister's boyfriend popped the question while on a Christmas Day walk..." He paused. "I guess he was right. These things really do come in threes. I guess they are kind of like celebrity deaths..."

"Zack, focus here. What was your point you were trying to make?"

"Oh yeah. My point was that all three did it in the right and still very romantic ways."

She smiled. "I guess so, but what brought that revelation on?"

"Well, I keep telling Cody that he royally screwed up in that regard...even though Bailey says she wouldn't have had it any other way."

Amanda laughed. "Then, that's all that matters in the end. Not everything has to be done in the way you think it should."

"I completely disagree!" Zack paused though. "But it just seemed to me that after the way he did it, I was feeling less pressure to do something that would be a showstopper. Now with what's happened in the past few weeks..."

"The right way is different for every couple. As long as both are happy with how it goes down, who cares?"

"That's true I guess..."

She paused as an idea suddenly came to her. "Wait a minute! Are you trying to say you're getting closer to popping the question yourself?"

He paused. "Well, sort of. I know I'm still a ways from actually dropping down to one knee, but with everyone else seeming doing it now, its made me stop and think about how I would do it. And I did have an idea come to me that I thought was pretty good..."

"Oh yeah? Lets hear it."

So, Zack explained his idea to Amanda. But once he was done, he could tell by the look on her face that she was far from impressed. "Oh, come on! I think that would be cool as hell!"

"Maybe to you, but getting them to broadcast it over the jumbotron at a Pats game next winter may not be what Maya had in mind. I know she's a sports fan too, but no offense, its not the most romantic thing in the world. Plus, I've seen enough of them happen where the girl looks absolutely miserable as she feels like every eye is on her to say yes."

"I wouldn't have to worry about that - she's already told me she would say yes when I asked!"

Amanda sighed again. "I know, but its like the lesson we learned from Spider-Man - with great power comes great responsibility. Even though you know it will be a yes, that's no reason to mail it in. You know, its a good thing for you that you have me as a friend to keep you from doing stupid things. Now, I want you to completely scrap that idea and forget you even thought of it!"

He exhaled. "Really?"

"Definitely. But don't worry. We'll figure out the right way for you to do it so that it will sweep her off her feet..."

_Apley Court, that same Monday afternoon_

That Monday was the first day of classes of the spring semester for undergraduates on Harvard's campus as well. And about three-thirty that afternoon, Amy and Beth found themselves walking up the stairs to their dorm room after just getting out of the first meeting of their freshman seminar. While Beth had had three classes that day, Amy only had two with her computer science class being that morning. Fortunately for her, the class had begun as if people in the class had never heard of a computer before. But, she had a gut feeling that wouldn't last much longer before it got tougher. Their seminar class, however, was shaping up to me a lot more interesting that they had initially hoped for, and that was all they found themselves talking about.

"Okay, our teacher for our seminar seems way cool. Something tells me this class is going to be a lot of fun as well as educational..."

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I think so too. And if by the end of it, we can understand how the male mind works, I'm all for it!"

Amy laughed. "You and me both! Some of the books we have to read look really interesting too. I've never read the Feminine Mystique before. Though, I am already kind of intrigued by the big project we have to do by the end of the semester."

"Yeah, I am too. She left it really vague though about what the parameters of it have to be. All she said was that we just have to do something that shows just how much the two sexes differ in what they say and mean and how they communicate. I just hope I can come up with a good idea for it at some point."

"Well, I was already thinking of doing mine on television, radio and media advertisements. While at Yale, Bailey said she and Cody did a comparison on how the cola wars had begun to target the sexes in different ways. You know, that stupid Dr. Pepper 10 stuff and all. I figure I can pick a different product that appeal to both sexes and explore how they pander to men and women differently."

She nodded. "That's a really good idea..." She paused and laughed. "For guys, all they have to do is create commercials that have either fast cars, half naked women, popular sports figures or a combination of the three!"

"Tell me about it. Why would someone buy their jeans just because a former quarterback who couldn't figure out if he wanted to retire or not or a race car driver who is only famous because of who is father is and who hardly ever wins tells them to?"

Beth shrugged. "Beats me. Though, I guess there are some similarities in that they show us guys with their shirts off riding horses on a beach to entice us."

Amy shrugged too. "I guess that's true, but I have to admit that never really appealed to me. I would never buy a product just because of eye candy"

Her roommate gave her a look. "Oh really? Amy, is there something here you'd like to tell me?"

She laughed. "No, not that! I guess I just grew up around guys who were always in good shape because of of the work they did on the farm, but they were almost all dumb as rocks. Trust me, that was a complete turn off to me. I want my mind to be stimulated, not just my loins."

"I guess I can understand that. I just wish I could come up with an idea like the one you did."

Amy smiled. "Take it then."

Beth gave her a surprised look. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, go for it. I'm sure I'll think of something else that will be just as fun."

Immediately, she gave her a big hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't worry about it. Plus, after dealing with the men in my family, I'm sure I'll think of something else pretty easily. Fortunately, I have a Dad and seven and a half brothers-in-law that should be a gold mine of ideas."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Beth paused. "Speaking of the opposite sex though, something interesting did happen to me today while I was eating lunch."

"Oh yeah? Do tell."

"Well, I was sitting there minding my own business eating when this really cute guy walked up and asked me if he could join me..."

Amy smiled as she raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? Sounds interesting..."

"Yeah, and he and I ended up talking for almost an hour. It probably would have lasted longer, but I had to leave or be late for a class. He seems like a really nice guy and asked for my number. In fact, he already asked me out for this Friday night..."

"And what did you tell him?"

She blushed a little. "I figured why not, so I said sure..."

"Well, congratulations! The first day back and you've already potentially landed you a feller."

"Maybe so. But, it also brings me up a really big favor I need to ask of you. I guess he saw my uncertainty, and he suggested that I might be more comfortable going out on a double date as a first date. So, he was wondering if there was someone I knew I could bring along for a friend of his..."

Amy laughed. "Let me guess. You thought of me?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I did. I remembered you saying that you were ready to see what was out there too. So, what do you think? Are you game?"

She paused. "Well, I did say that, didn't I? What do you know about this friend anyways? Normally, I hate blind dates..."

"Well, he said he was a really good friend of his, so if he's anything like him..."

"Fair enough. Does this friend have a name?"

She paused this time. "Yeah, its..." She wrinkled her brow as she thought. "For some reason, I'm drawing a complete blank. I'm almost positive it starts with an 'A'. Something like Alan or Adrian or something like that. But, you both have names that start with an 'A', so maybe that's a good sign?"

Amy stopped to think herself before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" She stopped and laughed. "At the very worst, I'll get a free meal out of it away from the dining hall..."

Beth laughed too. "That's certainly one way to think of it. Jeremy is calling me later on tonight. Last chance to back out now. Are you're sure that you're in?"

"Yeah, I'm in. But when this guy calls you tonight, make sure his friend knows that this is just a first date. If he has any expectations beyond that, he's barking up the wrong tree."

"Completely understood, and I feel the exact same way you do. But I have a real good feeling that we will get to spend an enjoyable evening with two gentlemen."

"I sure hope so..." She sighed. "But I should keep this under my hat for a little while. If I tell my sister that I have a date, my whole family back home will know about it in a matter of hours..."

"You think she'd rat you out to them about this?"

"No, not her. My brother-in-law, Cody. He made a promise to my Dad that he'd keep an eye on me while I was up here in Boston and would do his best to keep my away from undesirables..."

Beth laughed. "Okay, that's funny!"

Amy laughed too. "I wouldn't laugh too much if I were you. I think he made the same promise to your Dad!"

_Cody and Bailey's place, Wednesday evening_

Wednesday were turning out to be Cody and Bailey's long day as they not only had their two new classes in the mornings, but they also had their Patient/Doctor I weekly course meeting that afternoon. So, it was no surprise that it was close to five o'clock that evening when they finally got home. As per their usual routine, they immediately knocked out their reading for the following day before they did anything else. Once that was finished, Cody headed downstairs to prepare their dinner while Bailey changed into her running clothes. She still had about fifteen months before she wanted to run the Boston Marathon, but she knew she had to keep building up her distance and endurance. Unfortunately for her though, with the brisk weather and still slick sidewalks, she was forced to use the treadmills in the complex's clubhouse. It would due until it warmed up, but she liked to have the scenery change as she ran. Over an hour later, she returned home and immediately headed upstairs to grab a shower. However, to her surprise, when she came back downstairs when she was done, she found that Cody had set up a private candlelit dinner for them using the good china they had gotten for their wedding.

Not being able to contain her smile, she spoke up. "Well, well! What do we have here? Not that I mind, but what's the special occasion, Sweetie?"

He turned and grinned at her. "Think about it. Where were you five years ago today?"

Bailey paused to think. "Five years ago today? Let me see...That would have been..." Her eyes went wide when it suddenly dawned on her. "Oh my gosh! I was on my way back to Kettlecorn for my Grammy's birthday. And when I got there, you were there waiting on me! But I didn't think we were going to celebrate our Remembrance Day until this weekend."

"And we still will. But I wanted to do this extra special thing tonight to commemorate the exact day. It was five years ago today that Kevin Love finally got it through my thick skull that I needed to man up and tell you how I really felt about you..." He gave her a wry smile. "And from there, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong."

She walked over to him and kissed him. "Not everything..."

"Okay, you got me there. In the end, you told me that you never stopped loving me, and I begin to hear birds singing."

Bailey laughed. "Because you did! We all did!"

"Well, yeah, but at the time, I thought I was the only one who heard them because I was so happy to have you back."

"Can you believe its really only been five years since all of that happened? It seems like that happened a whole another life time ago..."

"You're certainly right about that. That was the last day I woke up miserable. Every day since then, I've woken up knowing I had you in my life and feeling like the luckiest guy in the world."

She kissed him again. "Good answer, Sweetie."

He smiled. "Thank you very much. Now, milady, if I may..." He pulled out her chair for her.

Bailey smiled. "But of course."

And once she was seated, he lifted the two plate covers up. "For our dining experience tonight, I've prepared us some of what I consider appropriate dishes. For our entree, we have your favorite, chicken pot pie. Along with that, I've made some biscuits using your Grammy's recipe as well as a side of your Mom's cinnamon baked apples. And to wash it all down, we have some lemonade – with a tray that has been sanded down to remove it of any potential splinters."

She couldn't help but to laugh. "It all looks absolutely perfect to me, Sweetie."

"And last but not least, I found a recipe for something called a tornado cake online. I can't say I've tried it yet to see how good it is, but all of the reviews on the website raved about how tasty it was."

"I'm sure it will be delicious. Now, why don't you join me and lets get this celebration started!"

So, he did. Another hour later, all of the dishes were in the dishwasher, and they had retired to snuggle together on the couch in front of a roaring fire.

"I wish this day five years ago could have ended like this one..."

Cody laughed. "While it would have been nice, it might have been a little difficult with everyone else around and the farmhouse damaged by the storm. Plus, back then, I had just finally gotten on good terms with your Dad. If we had done back then what I'm hoping we'll do tonight, all the goodwill I had built up with him would have been gone just like that...with the wind."

Bailey laughed too. "Probably so. Either way, these past five years have been the best of my life. Thank you for making that possible."

"My pleasure, Bails. And thank you for making them the five best of my life as well."

She snuggled in closer to him. "When I woke up five years ago, us being like this could have only been a dream. I was still being too stubborn to tell you how I really felt too."

"Well, we were both acting like idiots back then. Fortunately, we're well past that stage in our lives now."

"You're right. We're past the stage of doing something stupid before we talk to the other. I can't help but to think what might have happened if I just had confronted you in Paris with what I saw instead of running away and feeling sorry for myself. I definitely know I would have felt stupid for doubting you in the first place, and we wouldn't have lost all that time..."

"Two can play that game. What if I hadn't gotten so angry and taken the time to stop and think about things rationally? And what if I hadn't let my frustration boil over into writing that stupid play?"

"I guess we learned that neither one of us is perfect, huh?"

"Probably not..." Cody grinned. "Though, I stand by my assertion that you are a lot closer to it than I am."

She smiled back. "Agree to disagree. I'm just glad we're old enough now to not to let anything stupid get in our way again. We're both too smart to risk what we have over something so trivial..."

"You got that right. Now we know, as as G.I. Joe has taught us, knowing is half the battle..."

Bailey looked up at him and laughed. "Well, one thing that hasn't changed in the past five years is that you will still drop the lamest jokes I've ever heard every now and then..."

"Yeah, but you still love them."

"No, but I do love you."

_Boston University Fit&Rec Center, Friday afternoon_

While Harvard's classes had been back in session for a week, Boston University was finishing up their second week of classes for the semester. And for Maya, that meant she was still acclimating to her new work schedule that had to fit around her going to class. Fortunately, she was still able to have all of her classes either in the mornings or on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. On Friday afternoon, Maya was looking forward to the weekend, but she didn't mind her last two appointments for the day as they were here friends Gabby and Max. While she enjoyed helping them rehab from their injuries, the day would turn out to be a bittersweet one. It turns out that Gabby had an appointment with her doctor the previous afternoon, and after he ran the full gamut of tests on her knee, he happily declared it to be 100% healed. So, that afternoon was going to be the final rehab session that Gabby would have (if she didn't later re-injure her knee).

Maya fake wiped the tears from here eyes. "Well, with you knee back to being normal, it looks like you don't need me any more..."

Gabby smiled. "No offense, Maya, but I'm kind of glad that our sessions are done. Don't get me wrong. I'll miss our afternoons together, but I'd prefer to hang out with you more where I don't feel like strangling you when we're done..."

Maya laughed. "Fair enough I suppose. And I guess this helps you next week in that you can study for your first finals instead of being here in the pool."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me of those. But, it will be nice to have two more classes under my belt that I won't have to worry about any more."

"I can't say I blame you. I've only been back in classes for about a week and a half, and I'm already wishing I would soon be done with some of them."

"Hey, its not like I'm getting a break or anything. The following week, we start two brand new classes. I'll have Integrated Human Physiology every morning and on Tuesday afternoons until spring break. And then on Thursday afternoon, I begin Medical Ethics and Professionalism which will meet once a week until the end of the semester."

Maya shook her head. "You guys have the craziest schedules over there."

Gabby shrugged. "I used to think so, but its kind of grown on me. This way, you get totally immersed in a class without having to worry about that many other ones. And once its over, its over."

"I guess that's true. Well, let me sign off on your paperwork and you will officially be released from my care. I bet you can't wait to get home and take it easy, huh?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be heading home, but no taking it easy for me. With our finals a week away, I really need to buts my butt studying."

Maya smiled. "Well, just don't bust your knee or you'll be spending afternoons with me again."

Gabby laughed. "Gee...thanks." She paused. "Though, I will get a small break tomorrow. I had something come up that should turn out to be very interesting..."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Well, on Monday afternoon, I got a call from NBC's producer of the summer Olympics. For some reason, they want to take me out to lunch on Saturday and talk to me about something."

"Any idea what that is?"

She shook her head. "Not a clue. But my best guess is that they probably want me to so some kind of promo or something like that for the upcoming games in Rio this summer. You know, an attempt to remind people that they are only about six months away."

Maya nodded. "Makes sense to me. Well, have fun with that...and order the most expensive thing on the menu!" She grinned. "And if they want you to do some promos, make sure you get them to pay you well!"

Gabby laughed. "Oh, you can count on that! I'm no longer considered an amateur any more, and I can actually accept money without having to worry about the stupid NCAA any more."

"I think they have bigger issues now to worry about with the four big conferences threatening to break away from it and starting their own governing body."

"More power to them then if they do! Until you're a college athlete, you don't quite realize how stupid their rules are. For examples, schools could provide us bagels to eat, but God forbid they gave us cream cheese to put on them. That would have been a violation!"

"Please tell me you aren't serious."

"Unfortunately, I'm not. It still amazes me just how idiotic they are with certain things."

"I guess I can see that...Well, good luck either way with your lunch meeting."

Gabby smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you later...just not here though."

Once she left, Maya sat down at her desk to finish up the paperwork for Gabby's session and write down her final summary of everything so that her file could be closed. But as she was sitting there working, there was a knock at her door. Looking up, she saw her boss smiling at her.

"Someone is here to see you."

"Oh, is Max here already?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly...unless Max has grown about six inches, grown a goatee and changed genders..."

Maya nodded, and a few seconds later, a young man walked in that looked sort of familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place in her mind who he was.

"Can I help you, Mr...?"

The guy smiled. "What, you don't remember me? I know we only went out a couple of times the summer before our senior year of high school, but that wasn't all that long ago..."

Immediately, Maya's eyes went wide as she realized who it was standing there in her office. It was the guy that had initially caused her to run away to the S.S. Tipton. "Oh my gosh...Roger!"

_Cody and Bailey's place, About the same time_

That same day, after finishing their last class of the day and the week a little after noon, Cody and Bailey headed home. After fixing a quick lunch of tuna fish sandwiches, both had the opportunity and time to unwind a little. While Bailey chose the time to relax and catch up on some of the television shows she had recorded on their DVR during the week, Cody immediately headed back out. He had heard of a farmer's market having a grand opening just down the street, and he wanted to try to get them some fresh organic fruits and vegetables in the house. But as Bailey was lounging on the couch, Albert jumped up next to her. She smiled at him as she scratched his ears.

"Hey there, Albie. How has your day been going today?"

He relished getting his ears scratched and began purring. "I'm doing much better now with you doing that. Now, if you want to make my day, I'd love some of that tuna fish you and Cody had for lunch..."

Bailey began laughing for a moment before her eyes went wide. She looked down at Al who was still purring away. After a few moments, she shook her head and began laughing. "Okay, I must really need this break. I must be studying way too hard lately. That has to be it. How else could I explain that I could have swore that Albie just told me he wanted some tuna?"

Al stopped purring and began looking at her funny. "Wait a minute! You can actually understand me now too?" He paused. "This is great!"

She shook her head again. "I think I just heard him talking again...Maybe I should go lie down?"

He laughed. "You're already lying down here on the couch."

Bailey's eyes went wide again before letting out a blood curdling scream and fainting.

_To be Continued..._

**AN: Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I took the afternoon off, so I figured I'd go ahead and post this while I'm thinking about it. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. And to my fellow guys out there, my wallet feels your pain today.**


	19. Just When You Thought It Was Safe

_Chapter 19_

_"Just When You Thought It Was Safe"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

Even though she had only been out of it for a few minutes, Bailey wasn't quite sure how long she had been comatose when she slowly found herself regaining consciousness. However, it suddenly dawned on here that she hadn't woken back up completely on her own accord. Instead, she had felt what she could best be described as two small pieces of sand paper repetitively rubbing against her cheeks. Even in her current state of mental fog, she realized how ridiculous that sounded and immediately opened up her eyes. And when she did, she found herself face to face with two cats who were in the process of licking her face. Once she put two and two together, she realized that the tiny pieces of sand paper were their tongues, and it made perfect sense to her then. However, that is when the fog finally lifted from her brain, and she began remembering what had happened previously...or at least what she thought had happened. Realizing that the Albie actually talking to her sounded even more ridiculous that the sand paper, she reached up to scratch both cats' ears and began laughing out loud.

"Boy, I am so glad you two are here. I didn't realize the rigors school was getting to me so much, but I guess I must have been more tired than I thought. I must have laid down here on the couch and passed out. And you two would never believe the dream I just had. It was the craziest thing in the world - Albie, you were talking to me and I could actually understand what you were saying..."

Al turned to Allie. _"Oh, I can already tell this is going to get interesting. And Sis, due to that, something tells me that any chance we had of getting some of the tuna just went out the window.__.."_

Allie just turned to him and meowed as Bailey's eyes went wide again. "Wait a minute! That was just a dream...wasn't it?" She began shaking her head. "No! No! No! I think I've lost my mind!"

Al began laughing. _"__Oh, settle down, Toots! I promise you that you're not going crazy or anything like that."_

She began stammering in shock. "But...but...but...but...how is this possible?"

_"To be perfectly honest, I have no clue how any of this works. Must be one of those mysteries of the universe like why catnip is so addictive or why dogs have no sense of decency when they decide to lick themselves. If it makes you feel any better though, you're only the second human I've ever been able to understand. __All I know is that I've been able to talk to Cody for a while now."_

"You've been talking to Cody?"

_"Yeah."_ He paused to think. _"__Though, now that I think about it, this is rather weird. I mean, he told me that you wouldn't be able to understand me and vice versa. I'm guessing either he was wrong about that or something has changed since then..."_

Bailey found herself speechless and just stared at Albert for a few minutes as all kinds of thoughts began running through her head. Being a big believer in science, she tried to figure out how all of this was possible, but nothing she had ever read could explain what was happening before her. She even found it kind of disconcerting that the one thing she couldn't refute or ignore was the fact that she was actually lying there on the couch having a conversation with her pet cat. "This is so big! This is a huge day in the history of human-animal relations! I...I can actually understand what you're saying, Albie!"

He rolled his eyes. _"__No duh, Bailey! Its taken you this long to just just now figure that out?"_ He shook his head and muttered to himself. _ "__And to think Cody keeps telling me how smart you're supposed to be..."_

And that's when she finally made the mental connection. In her shock and surprise, it had taken her this long to realize that significance that she hadn't been the first to have communicated with the cat. "Wait a minute...you keep saying you've been talking to Cody too?"

_"Yeah, I have. Again, I don't know how it happened because before I began talking to him, I had never been able to understand a human or have one understand me before. Then, all of a sudden, I could with him. And we've been able to talk to each other ever since__."_

"How long exactly have you been able to talk with him?"

Al paused and did his best attempt to shrug his shoulders. _"I have no idea how to answer that. Remember, I'm a cat. Us cats and you humans don't have the same concepts of time. I remember once Cody tried to explain a few things to me like how every time the sun rises, you call it a day. But if you're wondering how many of those has it been since I first talked to him, I don't remember. I mean, I was actually talking to a human, so stuff like when it happened was low on my list of priorities.__"_

"I guess I can understand that." She paused as she tried to think of another way to jog Albie's memory. "I've got it! Albie, was the first time you and Cody talked before or after we went back to the farm for Christmas?"

_"Oh, it was w__ell before that. Now that I think about it, I'd say the first was right about the time the weather started to get cooler and cooler. And I remember all the leaves on the trees outside were beginning to turn colors and then fall off."_

Bailey nodded as she began putting the pieces together. "That must have been last fall then..." And at that moment, another thought occurred to her. "Was it before or after you attacked him that one day while he and I were in bed?"

He rolled his eyes again. _"Sheesh, you guys like to keep bringing that up, don't you? I mean, I've already told him I was sorry about that, but a__t the time, I thought I had legitimate grounds to attack him! In my defense though, what he did was something that no male should ever do to another one! But since then, we've talked about why he did it, and we've come to a mutual understanding. In fact..."_

She cut him off. "Focus, Albie!"

_"Okay, Okay..__.Actually, I believe it was shortly after that...incident that I realized he could understand me. But, like I said, Cody and I have talked and we're cool now. We're buds. I still might not like what he did, but I can understand why he did it."_

But all Bailey could do was shake her head in wonder. She had fully accepted that this was happening, but she still had no idea how it was happening. "How in the feathers is all of this possible? And why did it happen to Cody before it happened to me? I mean, I know Cody isn't Dr. Doolittle or anything like that. This makes no sense to me. There is nothing in the realm of science that could explain how humans and animals can communicate with each other. This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I've never heard of animals and humans being able to do this before..." She paused and began laughing. "Well, except for that one time when London talked to that dolphin, but that was only because of..." And that's when it hit her.

_"Because of what?"_

"Corsican fruit!" She felt herself gripping her fists as she turned back to Al. "Tell me, has he been feeding you anything different since then? Anything other than your normal cat food?"

_"__Other than the occasional table scraps of the stuff you guys eat and the occasional treat, the only food he gives me is the same stuff I've gotten since I first came to live with you guys..." _He paused for a moment. _"__But, now that I think about it, I do remember that my food did begin to taste a little...sweeter right about the time I began talking to him. But, it made that slop taste better to me, so I wasn't about to complain."_

"That has to be how all of this is possible. He must have been slipping you some Corsican fruit, but he never told me he had any of that stuff left from the Gemini Project..." She paused to think. "And I certainly don't remember ever eating any of it myself. I haven't even eaten anything out of the usual lately..." Again, she paused as something else dawned on her. "Except..."

_"Except what?"_

Bailey didn't answer him though. Instead, she immediately got up off the couch and made a beeline for the refrigerator. After opening the door and immediately spotting what she was looking for, she grabbed the jar of what she previously had been under the impression was apricot preserves. Dipping her finger into the jar and collecting some of the sticky substance on her fingertip, she walked back over to the couch and the cats.

"Al, I want you to taste this for me and tell me if it is familiar to you."

_"__Well, it ain't the tuna I was hoping for, but I'm not picky." _He licked her fingertip before pausing and thinking. _"__Oh yeah, that's the sweet taste I remember!"_

Bailey sighed as she shook her head. "Well, I guess that's one mystery solved..."

Al shrugged. _"__If you say so. Can I have some more of that stuff though?"_

She ignored his last comment though. "Well, I suspect that since I haven't heard Allie say anything to me yet that Cody hasn't been feeding it to her too." She shook her head in frustration. "Why in the world would Cody have done this and not told me about it? It doesn't make any sense..."

_"I don't know what to tell you. I do know he was planning on telling you all about it at some point. He even mentioned that now that your bet was over that you'd hopefully think this was a good thing."_

Upon hearing the word 'bet', Bailey's face clouded over in a mask of rage as she thought she knew the answers to everything now. "Bet? He did this for our bet? All of this just to win a stupid bet?"

_"I don't know anything about that. And I don't know __If it makes you feel any better, but I do know he wasn't planning on keeping this a secret from you forever. In fact, he told me he was trying to find just the right way to do it while we were back on the farm. I remember that because it was right after I asked him if you guys would bring Allie back here to the city with us..."_

Bailey eyes narrowed and she just gave him another look. "It was your idea for him to ask me if she could live with us here in Boston?"

_"__Well, yeah. She's my sister. I may be the runt of the litter, but as a brother, its my responsibility to look after her."_

Bailey shook her head in disbelief. "Unbelievable! And here I thought Cody was just being extra sensitive and caring right then..." Unfortunately, that's when her shock turned into anger, and she began seething. "I can't believe he did all of this! At this moment, I am so angry that I feel like wringing his neck right now!"

_"__Calm down now, Bailey. I mean, everything worked out in the end. If you think about it, this all was actually a good think. Its not that big of a deal..."_

Bailey glared at him. "Maybe to you its not! But I am madder than a chicken with a clogged cloaca right now! I can't believe he would do all of this! I need to get of here before he gets home or I feel like I'm going to do or say something that I may or may not regret later!" And with that, Bailey grabbed her purse, stormed off and slammed the front door behind her.

Al turned to Allie. _"Uh oh..."_

_Boston University Fit&Rec Center _

Meanwhile, a couple of blocks to the northeast, Maya was sitting at her desk dealing with her own shocking revelation that afternoon. While her surprise probably wasn't as high on the scale as the one Bailey was dealing with, she still found herself frozen in pure bewilderment. Even though it was a little early, she had fully expected to find that her visitor was Max having showed up for her afternoon therapy session. But that hadn't been the case at all. Instead, the person standing before her was someone she hadn't seen in well over five years. He was someone who had directly or indirectly depending on how you looked at it been the catalyst for her leaving her comfort zone in New York City and heading off for a new life on the S.S. Tipton. More so than that, he was someone that she had absolutely given no real thought to in the past several years until she had recently found out that she had been duped by someone she had thought was her friend. But none of that was really relevant at the moment as there he was, leaning against the door frame of her office.

"Roger..."

He smiled. "So, you do remember who I am, Maya...long time no see, huh?"

She could only nod for a moment before she found her voice again. "Yeah, you could say that. The last time we saw each other was the summer before our senior years in high school I believe. Not that I'm against class reunions, Roger, but why and how did you end up here?"

He sat down in the chair across from her desk and began laughing. "Actually, you'll probably find this a little strange but highly amusing at the same time. A few days after New Year's, I came home to find and envelope tacked to the door of my office with a note inside. I don't still have it, but it basically told me that if I remembered you and wanted to see you again that this would be the place to find you."

Maya took a deep breath as she was beginning to get a bad feeling. "You don't say. If I may ask, who was this note from?"

Roger shrugged. "That's the interesting part. The envelope had no postage or return address on it, so I'm guessing it was hand delivered. Add that to the fact that the note itself wasn't signed or have any kind of letterhead on it, and I have absolutely no idea who left it for me." He smiled. "But, by the fact that you and I are face to face and talking right now, I can see that it was 100% correct."

"Yeah, I guess it was..." And under her breath, she mumbled. "...but I think I have a very good idea who the delivery boy was or was was behind it being dropped it off. I'm going to kill him later..."

"What was that?"

She shook her head and looked back up at hom. "Don't worry about it, its not important. Anyways, what have you been up since I last saw you?"

He grinned. "Well, I went off to college at Duke University, and I graduated last May with a degree in finance. This summer, I joined my father's investment firm. While I'm only a junior investor right now, I have no doubts that I'll soon be rising up the corporate ladder. Actually, the reason I'm actually in town today is that I was meeting with an old client of ours trying to entice him to try this new idea of mine. Naturally, I sealed the deal, and I should be well on my way to climbing the ranks..." He began laughing. "I probably would a little faster than the other new guys anyways, but this at least will make it look legitimate..."

"Got to love nepotism, huh?"

"Hey, I say take advantage of the advantages and perks that life gives you. Enough about me though, what about you? How did your end up here in Boston? And are you really a physical therapist?"

"Not yet. I still have four more semesters before I graduate simultaneously with my bachelor's degree in athletic training and my doctorate in physical therapy. I not only work for Boston University, but I'm a student here as well."

"Its no Duke, but its not a bad school I guess..."

She gave him a look. "Its a member of the American Association of Universities, just like the all of the Ivy League schools and your precious Duke. To be included in the prestigous group of only sixty members in the country tells me its a little better than just not bad."

He laughed again. "If you say so, but all being an AAU member really means is that BU has the main credential to be a candidate for further Big Ten expansion in the future. Besides, how did you end up here in Boston anyways? No sane New Yorker would even think of moving here..."

Maya bit her tongue before she said something nasty. "Well, I guess I wasn't sane when I moved here. I was crazy in love and moved here to try to win back the man I love who I had foolishly let get away. Fortunately, I did, and I'm extremely happy here now. In fact, in many ways, I actually like Boston better than I do New York. I'll always be a Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Rangers fan, but I can still root them on here."

"So, you do have a main guy in your life then. No offense, but I'm kind of sorry to hear that..."

That caught her off guard a little. "Why would you say that?"

Roger smiled. "Well, I thought finding that note was fate giving me a second chance with you. I know I royally screwed up back in high school, and I was hoping I could show you that I was a lot more mature nowadays..."

"You say you royally screwed up?"

He sighed. "Yeah, I can look back now and realize going out with you and my ex girlfriend at the same time was a big mistake. Trying to juggle multiple women at the same time was a really bad idea, and it completely blew up in my face. First, you disappeared on me without a word, and then she found out from someone else that you and I had been going out too. You never officially dumped me, but she more than made up for it for the both of you..."

Maya just sat there and shook her head. She guessed she finally had the answer to that question. "The reason I left New York was because someone sent me a picture of you out with another girl. I probably overreacted, but it looks like I had just cause now. You really were out on a date with her, and it wasn't your cousin or something like that..." She began laughing. "You really were a two timing jerk scumbag..."

Roger held up his hands to interrupt her. "Hold up there! Emphasis on the word 'were'! I'm not anymore! I've changed in the past few years! I've finally grown up!"

she paused for a moment before smiled. "Fortunately for you, I do know that is possible for someone who used to be a womanizer to mature and grow up. But, whether or not you really have doesn't mean anything to me. Like I told you earlier, I'm already happily taken and off the market. In fact, I should really thank you for being a slimeball back then or else I might not have ever met him..." She began laughing. "And to think, I actually began to feel bad that I had wrongly accused you of something horrible and left without taking to you first. Not anymore!" She looked up and wiped her brow. "Whoever is up there looking out for me, thank you!"

He frowned as he realized this was not going to go the way he had hoped. "I see. Well, where did you end up anyways?"

She turned her attention back to him. "I headed off to Seven Seas High aboard the S.S. Tipton cruise ship. And that's where I met my boyfriend Zack and several of my really good friends."

He nodded as he began making his exit strategy. "Well, I'd like to apologize again to you for my behavior back then. I really do like to think I'm older and wiser now. Congratulations on your current relationship..."

"Thank you. And for your sake, I hope you have matured. Hopefully when you find someone else new, you'll remember that. I..." She paused and stopped speaking when she noticed something. And when she did, she just shook her head in disgust. "Unbelievable..."

He gave her a confused look. "What?"

"I have a quick question for you. You go to a tanning booth pretty often, don't you?"

Roger was totally perplexed by her queston. "Well, yeah, at least once or twice a week. In fact, I was just there on Wednesday, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Maya smirked at him. "Because I just happened to notice one part of you that has no tan at all – that little white band around your left ring finger! And it just so happens that its about the same size as a wedding ring! You're married!"

His eyes went wide as he realized he was busted. "Oh...umm...I can explain that. You see...I...ummm."

She stood up and glared at him. "Seems like you haven't changed a bit! Get out of my office now!"

Quickly, Roger stood up himself and made a hasty exit out of her offce. Maya just stood there shaking her head for a few minutes and began fuming. "Will, I know it was you that brought Roger back to my doorstep. You're about to find out just how ticked off I am right now!" She paused for a second when she thought of something or rather, someone else. And with a grin, she picked up her phone. "Yes, information? I'd like the number in New York City for a Roger Mulholland." She paused as the operator began looking up the number and began laughing. "I think his wife should know all about his little trip to Boston. Maybe losing everything he owns in a divorce will be a lesson he'll never forget."

_Cody and Bailey's House_

About a half hour later, Cody finally returned home from his trip to the farmer's market carrying two large canvas bags full of fresh produce. He was in such a good mood at the level of selection as well as good prices that he was actually whistling as he walked up their front steps. And once he got back inside the townhouse, he made a beeline for the kitchen and began unpacking all of the fresh goodies he had bought into the refrigerator's dual crispers. After accomplishing that, he called out to Bailey as he really wanted to show her what he found. But after a few minutes of not getting any answer from her, he figured she was probably upstairs either napping or in the bathtub with some music playing. So, just as he was about to head upstairs to find her, he was surprised when Al jumped up on the counter.

"Oh, its just you, Al. You scared me there for a minute. But now that you're here, I do actually need to talk to you. I'm going to need your help tonight, Buddy. A few days ago marked the day when Bailey and I finally stopped being idiots five years ago and finally got back together. So, I figured I would make her a special dinner tonight and then finally tell her about the fact that you and I are able communicate with each other. I'm hoping she'll think its a good thing, but either way, I'm going to need you to be around tonight for me to show her what we can do."

Al winced as he heard that_. __"__Ummm...Cody, there might be a slight problem with that."_

Cody gave him a look. "Why would there be a problem with that? What are you talking about?"

_"__Well, you won't have to tell Bailey that you and I can actually talk to each other because she already knows! In fact, I was able to talk to her myself a little while ago!"_

Immediately, Cody stopped dead in his tracks and he began sweating. "What do you mean she already knows? And what do you mean you were talking to her earlier? How is that possible?"

Al paused. _"Well, i__t was the weirdest thing. She was laying back on the couch over there, and I hopped up next to her. She began rubbing my ears and asked me how my day had gone. I didn't think anything of the fact that I could understand her, and I happened to ask her for some of that tuna you guys had for lunch. Well, she was actually able to understand me, and I think it really weirded her out. She began screaming before she eventually she passed out. Allie and I did her best to wake her back up, but she could hear me again, she began to really freak out. Long story short, I was able to finally calm her down some, and she then began asking me all kinds of questions. After a few minutes, she figured out that whatever was in some jar in the refrigerator was what was responsible for us being able to talk to each other. I'm guessing she had eaten some of it herself recently..."_

Cody's eyes went wide in horror. "Oh no! Bailey found the Corsican fruit!"

_"__Yeah, that was the name she was calling it! Anyways, I happened to mention something about a bet you told me about, and that seemed to really make her mad. Her face got really red, and I could tell she was royally ticked off about something. I did my best to try to calm her down again, but it didn't work. Instead, she grabbed her purse and stormed out here in hurry."_

"Why did this have to happen today of all days?"

_"I don't know, but I think you're in some serious trouble, Dude. And I don't think letting her rub your nose in it is going to get you out of it this time."_

Cody slumped down into one of the bar stools and began shaking his head. "This is not good at all. I really was planning on telling her everything tonight about all of this, but there is now way she'll never believe me now..."

Al walked over to him and pawed at his hand. "_It probably doesn't help any, but__ I believe you. I know you were planning on telling her, and I tried to tell her that."_

He reached over and began rubbing his ears. "I appreciate that, Al, but I don't think that is going to help with Bailey at all. I'm such an idiot for not telling her about this sooner when I had the chance. I just hope she'll eventually forgive me..."

_"I'm sure she will. I mean, I've watched you two for a while now. Its obvious to me how much you two care about each other."_

"Thanks, Man. I hope she can remember that too."

_"What are you going to do now?"_

Cody sighed. "I'm not sure yet, but something tells me its going to include having to do lots and lots of groveling. In fact, I may be looking at sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future."

_"__Well, I wish you the best of luck. You and I are friends now, and friends help each other out. You helped me save my sister, so we both owe you a big one. So, if there is anything Allie and I can do to help, just ask us."_

Cody let out a sad laugh. "You don't happen to have a time machine so I can go back a day and tell her before she found out this way?"

_"__Yeah, like I have a machine that would let you go back in time! For one, I still have trouble understanding the concept of time that you humans have." _ He held up his paw. _"For another, how would I make one when I don't have opposable thumbs?__"_

Cody was about to tell him he had been joking when he heard the unmistakeable sound of someone trying to open the front door. Hoping and praying that it was Bailey, he ran over to the door as fast as he could and opened it up. But instead of finding his wife on the other side, he found his brother.

His shoulders slumped. "Oh...its just you. Zack, what are you doing here? I was hoping you were Bailey."

Zack grinned. "No such luck, Broseph. But I did stop by to ask you a really big favor."

"No can do right now, Zack. I have other pressing issues."

"Aww, come on! This will be right up your alley, so it shouldn't take you long at all. I had to buy a new scientific calculator for one of my classes, and since I know all about your past history with them..."

Cody shook his head. "Like I said, I can't right now. I really need to find my wife right now as it appears she is extremely ticked off at me. She stormed out of here in anger, and I have no idea where she is right now. That's why I was hoping you were her at the door."

Zack laughed again. "Uh oh! Baby Bro is in big trouble? Alright, what did you do now? You didn't write another play about her did you?"

"No, much worse than that. I did something really, really bad."

"Well, I know it wasn't her catching you with another woman because you are way too devoted to her. If its that bad, I'm guessing you must have killed one of her family members. Please say it was her grandmother..."

He sighed. "No, nothing like either of those. I've been feeding Corsican fruit to Albert for the past several months so that he and I could actually communicate so that he could work out the problems we initially had with each other. And that actually worked as he doesn't hate me anymore. Unfortunately, I neglected to tell Bailey about that little fact because we had a bet going about whether or not he and I would ever be friends. I was actually planning on telling her everything about it tonight, but it seems she found the Corsican fruit herself. Well, you can guess what happened next..."

"Sucks to be you then, Codester! But in all seriousness, I don't see the big deal. I mean, I would just..." Zack paused in midsentence when he realized something. "Wait a minute! You still have some of the Corsican fruit left over and never told me about it?!"

Cody gave him a look. "Yeah, that's the big problem facing me right now!"

"Dude, you should have hooked a brother up...your brother!"

He smirked at him. "And you would have done what with it exactly? You have no pets at home to communicate with, and you and I aren't in classes with each other anymore so you could read my mind and copy off of me. It wouldn't do you any good, Zack."

Zack paused as he considered that. "Well, maybe I could have given some to Maya, and it would have helped me understand her better. Can you imagine the mad brownie points I could have built up if I had a little inside information by being able to read her mind?"

"Yeah, and you would have ended up in deep trouble like I'm in right now when she found out!" Cody sighed again. "Besides, I seriously doubt that would have worked anyways..." He paused. "At least, I don't think it would. If you recall, London ate a bunch of that stuff too, and we could never hear her thoughts..."

"No offense to her, but it was London!"

"Well, if you'll also remember, while we could hear each other's thoughts, we couldn't with any of the other twins at the project. I'm thinking if the two people who ate it are of the same species, there has to be some kind of connection for it to work."

Zack sighed. "I hate it when you're right. Oh well, it was an idea anyways. Too bad you couldn't use it on Bailey to read her mind and find a way to make all of this up to her. Anything to help mitigate the damage."

"I know. The funny thing is that she essentially did the same thing I did on a bet we had in high school..."

He gave his brother a look. "Yeah, I'd keep that to yourself. No offense, but I've learned that when arguing with Maya, me using logical arguments will only get me in even more trouble. If I were you, I'd take a dive on this one and beg for mercy from the court. And if its as bad as you think it is, something tells me you're going to need more than just a bunch of flowers this time to make it up to her. I don't think she'll mention the 'D' word, but you may be sleeping on the couch for a while..."

"I know. I was just telling Al the exact same thing. Its kind of ironic that we were so worried about you ending up on our couch that I forgot about the possibility of me ending up there. And as for the flowers, I don't know if they'll help any, but I'm going to go out to buy some anyways. But, you're right - those won't be enough. I need to find something that will really show her how truly sorry I am. Something like..." Suddenly, Cody got the biggest grin on his face.

"Like what?"

"I've got it! I'll get her what she would have won if I had lost the bet!" He grabbed his coat again. "I gotta go shopping!"

"Where are you going? And what is it you're going shopping for anyways? "

Cody gave him a look. "None of your business. Look, I'll help you with you calculator as soon as I can get the homefires under control." He turned back to look at the cat. "Al, if Bailey comes back before I do, tell her I know I screwed up badly, and I'll be back as soon as I can with something that will hopefully atone for it!" And with that, Cody dragged Zack out the door along with him.

_The Tipton Hotel_

Once Bailey left the house, she was so angry that she had no destination for where she was going in mind. Instead, she thought maybe riding around on the subway would give her the time to eventually cool off and return home to confront Cody. However, she was surprised when she looked up and saw that the next station they were pulling into was the one just down the street from the Tipton Hotel. On impulse, she decided to get off there and go seek out the wisdom of Carey and ask her what she should do. She figured if there was anyone who had experience in dealing with the stupid stunts the twins had pulled in the past, it would be her mother-in-law. So, after walking up to the street and the block down to the Tipton, Bailey headed inside the hotel and made her way over to the elevators. After pushing the up button, she stood there tapping her foot impatiently waiting for the car to arrive. But before it did, she head a familiar voice come from behind her.

"Bailey? What are you doing here?"

Turning around, she saw London standing there holding a couple of shopping bags. "Oh...hey, London. I'm..." She sighed. "I'm here to see Carey to see if she can help me out."

"Anything I can do?"

She shook her head in anger. "Not unless you know how I should deal with my husband's stupidity! I swear I feel like wringing his neck right now!"

London began laughing. "Uh oh! Someone's in trouble! Tell me what Cody did!"

"Well...I don't know."

About that time, the elevator doors opened up, and London grabbed Bailey's arm and dragged her inside of the car with her. And instead of pressing the button for the twenty-third floor, she hit the P button indicating they were heading up to the penthouse. Once they got there, London continued dragging Bailey into her penthouse and practically pushed Bailey down on the couch.

"Okay, we're here now! Spill it, Farm Girl! Tell me everything that he did!"

Bailey sighed again and figured why not. She figured maybe it would be helpful to talk to London about it. "Well, I just found out a little while ago that Cody has been feeding Corsican fruit to our cat, Albie. You remember that stuff, right? It let you communicate with that dolphin who told us where Cody and Zack were being held captive by that crazy scientist."

London nodded. "Yeah, I remember. That dolphin insulted me. Go on."

"Anyways, when Albie first moved in with us, he and Cody were not getting along. I guess he didn't take it too kindly that we had gotten him neutered. And one night soon afterwards, he attacked Cody while we were in bed. After that, Cody was determined that he and Albie would eventually be friends. I had my doubts, so we made this bet on whether that would be happen with Halloween being the date it had to happen by. I learned today that Cody began giving the cat Corsican fruit just so he could win our bet!"

"Uh huh. Go on..."

Bailey gave her am exasperated look. "Go on? Isn't that enough?"

London began laughing. "No, not really. In fact, I seem to remember a situation very similar to that several years ago on the boat. Except back then, it was you who stretched things a little bit to win a bet between the two of you!"

Bailey was confused now. "What are you talking about? When did I ever do anything like that?"

"Bailey, Bailey, Bailey. How soon you forget. Do you not remember all the tricks you used when you tried to get me to be a better student? You know, that awful perfume and the hideous lipstick?"

She sat there for a moment before all of that began flooding back into her memory. "Oh...OHHHH...oh my gosh, I had forgotten all about that!"

"No duh! And based on what you did, I'm not quite sure why you're so upset when you basically did the exact same thing to him once before. If you did it, why wouldn't he think he could do the same thing?"

Bailey hung her head and sighed. "I hadn't thought of it like that before." She paused as she did think of something. "But its not the same though! Cody knowingly put Albie's life at risk by feeding him something that could have been poisonous to him! I never did anything like that to you!"

London kept smiling. "You didn't? Before you gave me that perfume or that lipstick, did you check with my doctor beforehand to see if I could possibly be allergic to either of them?"

"Well, no, but..."

"And how do you know he put the cat's life at risk? Did you even bother to ask him if he had asked the vet about it first?"

She hesitated. "Well, again, I didn't, but..."

"Why not?"

Bailey's shoulders slumped. "I just kind of ran out of there before he got home. At the time, I was so upset and angry that I couldn't think straight."

London gave her another look. "I thought you had learned better than that by now. For the rest of our last semester, you kept talking about something like that never happening again. What happened to your vow of stopping to talk to him first before you go flying off the edge and doing something stupid?"

Bailey just looked at her friend for a moment before laying her head back against the couch. Everything that London was saying was one hundred percent true, and Bailey was realizing how bad she had screwed up. "I forgot all about that too. I was just so upset that it never entered my mind..."

She smiled. "I know."

"But, after talking to you, its totally dawned on me that I'm being a total hypocrite. I have no reason to be upset with Cody when I did the same thing to him a few years ago. And he didn't get mad at me then. He even gladly paid off our bet..."

London smiled again. "I know that too."

"I should head back home and talk to him, shouldn't I? Looks like I need to make few apologies myself."

"That might be the best idea you've had today."

"Thanks, London..." Bailey reached over to hug her friend before beginning to laugh when she realized something. "I have to admit, its kind of surreal for you to be the voice of reason."

London laughed too. "Yeah, tell me about it. But I have to admit, I do have anterior reasons for it in this case..."

"You have reasons dealing with a ligament in your knee? London, I think you mean ulterior."

She gave her a look. "Whatever! Anyways, my point is that I need you and Cody to be a couple who actually gets along with each other, will stay with each other and will always continue to love each other..."

"Why? You always use to make fun of us for talking about stuff like that back in high school."

"Because back then, it was fun! But now that I'm older and in a relationship of my own, you two are proof to me that couples can get together and actually stay together happily. With my Dad being married close to thirty times by now and my mother until recently not being a big part of my life, I've never had a real good example of what a committed relationship actually looks like. With you two, I do. Well, you guys and Moseby and Tut, but you guys have been together longer than they have. Seeing you two able to still be so happy together after all these years gives me the hope that Todd and I can make it in the long run too."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks, London. That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me before."

"Yeah, I kind of feel weird now after having said it..." She shuddered. "Before you head off though, what were the terms of your bet this time anyways?"

Bailey paused again and blushed a little bit before she finally told her. Of course, upon hearing the actual terms, London began laughing again. "Oh wow! Well, at least its nice to know that you two are finally raising the stakes a little more nowadays. That's a lot better than a kiss on the cheek."

"If you say so. I happen to love it when he kisses me on the cheek." She paused and giggled. "Though, I do have to admit that I loved his reaction when I paid off this bet too. You should have seen the look he had on his face..."

London looked at her again and smiled. "Actually, I'd rather not even think about that. A little too much information there, Bailey. But think about it this way. I think its obvious that Cody did this in part to keep himself from getting attacked again which I can totally understand..."

She cut her off. "I can too."

"But he also did it to win the bet which involved you eventually ending up dressed like a French maid. Think about it. A lot of guys do underhanded things to let them spend time with other women. But that's not what happened here. No, all your husband wanted was to see you wearing that, no one else. Your husband stretched the rules a little bit because he is that desirous of you. Compared to some of the problems other women have with their husbands, you should consider yourself you're pretty darn lucky."

Bailey nodded. "I know I am. Look, I hate to talk and run, but I really should be getting back home. Hopefully, Cody and I can sit down and have a civilized talk about this. While I'm no longer upset, I do still have some questions I need him to answer like whether or not he actually did contact the vet."

"Understood..." London paused. "But you might want to forget to tell him that you had to come here and have me remind you of certain things. That could get you into some trouble."

She shook her head. "No, I won't do that. When we talk, I want us to have an open and honest discussion about this. I won't be holding anything back."

_Down on the 23__rd__Floor_

About five thirty that afternoon, Maya finally arrived back home after finishing up her last session of the afternoon with Max. And while it had done her heart good to see how well Max was progressing, Maya was still on a high from what she had done just before Max had shown up. Needless to say, there was a young woman in New York City who had been very interested in getting a phone call from her. While Maya did feel what she had done was a little childish as she had done it out of revenge, she knew she had done the right thing in the end. Naturally, she couldn't wait to tell Zack about everything that had happened that day, and she was happy to see he was already home when she walked into their suite. When she sat down next to him on the couch, both turned to each other and began speaking at the same time.

"You'll never guess what happened to me today!"

Both looked at each other and laughed once the realized they had said the exact same thing. Zack spoke up again. "I know its usually ladies first, but let me go first as I have some really interesting news. I stopped by the Codester's place on my way home to get his help with a new calculator I had to buy, and it turns out there is trouble in paradise!"

She gave him a look. "Why? What are you talking about?"

He grinned. "You remember that bet they had about their cat? Well, its seems like my baby bro cheated. He was using Corsican fruit to actually talk to the cat! That's how he was able to become friends with the furball!"

"Are you serious?"

"Oh yeah. And it seems like Bailey found out all about it before he could tell her himself. From what I heard, she was royally ticked off and stormed out of the house in a rage."

"What happened next?"

Zack shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's as far along as things were when I left, but Cody said he was going to go out and buy her what she would have won anyways in an attempt to make it up to her."

"And just what was that exactly?"

He paused before giving an evil grin. "I don't know. When I asked him, he said it wasn't any of my business. That tells me its something he doesn't want people to know about. Of course, that means I fully plan on finding out and holding it over his head..."

"Lay off for a while. I'm sure the last thing he needs right now is more problems."

"I will, but you know those two. I'm sure everything will be fine with them by the end of the night, and they'll go back to being their usual selves."

"I sure hope so. It doesn't sound all that bad, but we shouldn't stick our noses into their business."

"You're probably right. So, tell me what happened to you today?"

Maya smiled and told him all about her visitor and what she had done immediately after Roger left her office. Zack gave her a look. "Remind me not to get on your bad side! What did his wife have to say when you talked to her?"

She laughed. "Well, since I consider myself a lady, I can't repeat the exact language she used. But lets just say I don't think old Roger will be having a very warm homecoming when he gets back to New York."

"I would say probably not..." He paused. "Let me guesss. You think Will was behind this, don't you?"

"Babe, I'm 100% positive that he set the whole thing up. And the next time I see him, I'm going to give him a piece of mind!"

Zack paused again to think. "I don't think you should. I mean, don't you think that's exactly what he's hoping you'll do?"

She gave him a look of confusion. "Huh?"

"Think about it. He probably put a PI or something like that to go out searching for this Roger guy. Once he found him and found out he was a complete scumbag, he naturally wanted you to find that out. If he was a normal, innocent guy, he probably wouldn't have done anything. But Will wanted you to find out that he was right all along."

Maya stopped to think about that. "You're right. And he's probably waiting to give me a big 'I told you so'. He'll try to spin it that I should be grateful to him for what he did years ago..."

"Exactly."

She shook her head in disgust. "Well, I won't give him that satisfaction then! I'll just pretend that this afternoon never happened."

"Probably a good idea."

Maya gave an evil grin of her own. "That should really mess with his mind then. He'll go crazy wondering what the heck really happened..."

"Maya...You're starting to sound like me!"

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. I know exactly what I'm doing here. When I don't do anything, he'll come seek me out again. And that's when I let him have it!"

"Just be careful. If he's resorted to desperate measures like this, it means there might not be any limits to what he'll do."

Maya smiled. "And if he does, there won't be any limits to what I do to teach him a lesson."

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

About the same time that Maya was getting home, Bailey was walking up towards the door of her own home. On the subway ride back from the Tipton, she realized that Cody should already be home, and more than likely, he had already talked to Al and found out what had happened earlier. Based on past experiences, she had a good idea of what she would probably find when she walked in, but Bailey found herself suprised by the number of bouquets of flowers she found in their living room along with numerous mylar balloons that said 'I'm Sorry'. Seeing all of those, she felt a twinge of guilt as she realized what Cody must be going through. And it didn't take much longer to find him as she also began noticing pleasant aromas coming from their kitchen. Figuring that was where he was, she quickly made her way towards there. And when she walked into the kitchen, she saw him feverishly stirring something in a bowl. Cody happened to look up and see her, and that's when his heart began beating rapidly.

"Hey, Bails..."

"Hey, Cody..."

At the same time, both began speaking again. "Look, I need to tell you something..." Both paused as small smiles broke out on their faces as they realized they had said the exact same line. Cody continued though. "When I got home a while ago, Al brought it to my attention that you've already discovered the little secret that I promise you I was fully planning on telling you all about tonight..."

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say the cat was out of the bag so to speak." She paused. "No pun intended."

Giving her his best contrite look, Cody nodded too. "I know. Bailey, I swear to you that I really was going to tell you about everything tonight. Al said he would vouch for me in that, but this isn't his mess to clean up. Its mine. So, I want to sincerely apologize to you for keeping it a secret from you for so long. I've had some time to think about it this afternoon, and looking back in retrospect, its seems extremely foolish of me not to have before now. Everytime I've thought about doing so before now, it seems like something else always came up that made another time seem better. But, I won't use that as an excuse right now because quite frankly, it isn't one. Bails, I really am sorry about all of this. If I could go back and undo it all, I would..."

Bailey tried to interrupt him. "Cody..."

But he kept on talking. "And I know you're really upset about me using the Corsican fruit to win our bet. I won't lie though - I really did want to win it. But at the same time, I also really wanted Al and I to become friends. I'd like to think he and I are now, but I know I went about the whole thing the wrong way..."

"Yeah, about the Corsican fruit, I do have a few questions..."

Cody cut her off. "I think I know what they are too. I want you to know that at no point was Al's health ever in any jeopardy or danger. Before I even thought of giving him any of the Corsican fruit, I had the vet run some tests on it to make sure it was okay to give him. A couple of days later, she called me back and told me it wouldn't harm him at all and actually contained some vitamins and nutrients that would be good for him. Again, I know that doesn't excuse what I did any, but I wanted you to know I just didn't do it blindly without worrying about in side effects. And if you want, you can call the vet yourself to verify that..."

Bailey nodded again. "Well, I did wonder about that..." She paused as she began getting this strange feeling. Actually, it was more that she was getting this vibe from Cody that practically shouted to her that he was telling her the truth. "... but I do believe you. For some strange reason, I can actually tell that you're telling me the truth about all of this."

"Because my nose isn't crinkling?"

At hearing that, she had to laugh a little. "Actually, that thought never crossed my mind. Instead, I just got this vibe from you that you're being sincere with me. Maybe its the Corsican fruit? I mean, we know now that we've both been eating it."

"You think so? I thought it would only have an effect on people who were blood related..."

"Maybe for actually being able to read someone's mind, but maybe if there is a close enough bond between two people, there are other effects it has?"

"Maybe so, but to be honest, that's the furthest thing from my mind right now. I know I've royally screwed up, and I want to do whatever it takes to make it up to you for me trying to win our bet in a less than fair and square way manner..."

Of course, hearing him say that made her wince as her conscience kept reminding her that she had done essentially the same thing a few years ago. "Look, about that, I don't want you to feel too bad about it. I can't be mad at you for doing that when my behavior when we made the bet about getting London's grades up was basically identical..."

"I won't lie, that had crossed my mind, but I wasn't going to bring it as a way to excuse my behavior."

"I guess we both still let ourselves get too competitive at times. And I can acknowledge that neither one of us is immune from making mistakes..."

Bailey was about to tell Cody all about her conversation with London when her cut her off again. "You're right. But, I still feel terrible about what I did. So, as another sign of regret and penance, I bought you this earlier..." And with that, he pulled a small paper bag out of his pocket. "If I hadn't done what I did, you would more than likely won our bet and gotten this as your spoils of victory..."

That caught Bailey completely off guard. All thoughts of what she had been about to say immediately left her mind as she realized what was probably in that small bag. "Is what's in there what I think is in there?"

He nodded. "Yeah..."

Bailey took the bag from him and looked inside of it. And when she saw it was indeed what she thought it was, all she could think of was that she was finally going to get what she had wanted since high school. But as she began to get a little giddy about that, her conscience came back with full force to remind her that she didn't deserve it. It tried to remind her that based on the precedent set by their previous bet, that Cody had actually won their most recent one fair and square. That left her with a dilemna as she wrestled with her conscience about what she should do. After a few moments, she tried to bargain with her conscience that she would take what was in the mystery bag and make it up to him later. It wasn't going for it, but she was so determined that she did her best to try to ignore it before looking back up at Cody again. "Are you serious about this?"

Cody nodded again and smiled. "Absolutely. Sweetie, I'm willing to do anything to prove to you just how sorry I am about all of this. I know this small gesture might not fully make up for it, but I hope its at least a start. And if there is anything else you want me to do, just name it."

Bailey couldn't help but to smile again as she thought about what was in the bag. Still, her conscience tried to get her to do the right thing, but even it knew it was waging a losing battle. And with a course of action now firmly set in her mind, she smiled at Cody.

"Tell you what, Honey. I did some thinking too while I was out, and I know I have no reason to be all that upset with you. Since I did it before, I can understand why you did what you did. Plus, it did work out that you and Albie are now friends, and I think its a good thing that we don't live in a war zone any longer. Yeah, I was angry at first, but I've completely gotten over it now. What would you say to me accepting this as your apology and us going back to being our normal selves again?"

His eyes lit up and the thought that it was going to be this easy. "Are you serious?"

She smiled at him again. "I am. I say we both just chalk this up to a minor bump in the road and move on with our lives. And, you have no idea what it means to me that you were willing to give me what id in this bag. I know how much you were against it initially and probably still are."

"Bails, I'm willing to do anything to make everything good between us again! Even that!"

She leaned in and kissed him. "Consider us good again...Maybe its a good thing this happened on our Remembrance Day weekend? Its gives us yet another reminder that stupid little things like this can cause us problems if we're not careful."

Several hours and a delicious meal Cody had made later, both of them were getting ready for bed. As he sat on his side of the bed, Cody could only look down at his feet and shake his head.

"Well, you finally got what you wanted. You've successfully painted my toenails..."

Bailey looked down at them and laughed. "Yeah, I have. And I have to say, its a really good look on you."

He sighed. "Why did you have to do them in black though? What was wrong with the shade I bought earlier?"

She grinned and teased him. "Because I like that shade you bought and want to keep it all for myself! I wasn't going to waste any of it on you when you'll want it to fade away as soon as possible..."

"Well, I did buy it because I thought it would be something you would like having the rest of later...Oh well, if this is my punishment, I gladly accept it."

"Quit beating yourself up over it, Cody Bear. Its over with now."

"I'll try..." He smiled before leaning in and kissing her. "Goodnight, Sweetie. You have no idea how much I love you."

"About as much as I love you too."

Bailey felt herself sigh in contentment and relief as Cody snuggled up behind her and began spooning her. It was only a few minutes later that she heard him begin to snore softly, and she realized everything he had endured that day had assuredly worn him out. She was about to drift off into slumberland herself when her conscience began nagging at her again. And this time, it was being unrelentless. It kept telling her that she might have gotten what she wanted now, but it asked if it would it be worth the price she would have to pay later on if Cody ever found out the whole truth.

_To be Continued..._

**AN: UK actually won again, so I decided to go ahead and post the new chapter. Be prepared for me being a little more daring in where I go in the remaining episodes of this series.**


	20. Turning the Tables

_Chapter 20_

_"Turning the Tables"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

_The Tipton Hotel_

With it being a Saturday morning, Zack had absolutely no intention on being out of bed before noon. Unfortunately, his body wasn't being cooperative as his stomach woke him up after ten o'clock as it growled out that it wanted food. Negotiating with himself that breakfast was a valid reason to get out of bed, he slowly crawled out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to see what they had in the cupboards. And as Zack rummaged through them, he was once again grateful that Maya hadn't made him get up a few hours earlier when she did. She didn't have any clients that morning, but she thought a quiet Saturday morning would be the perfect time to catch up on some paperwork. Zack was hopeful that when she got back home that afternoon, they could find something fun to do together. With school back in session now, both of their free times had been diminished slowly, so he wanted to take advantage of the time they did have. Unfortunately for him though, he found absolutely nothing in the house that he could turn into a quick breakfast. He would have even settled for a bowl of cereal, but they were out of milk.

Standing there trying to figure out if he had time to head down the street to the McDonald's before they switched over to their lunch menu. It still boggled his mind that you couldn't get a bacon, egg and cheese on a Saturday morning after 10:30. Zack was about to go throw some clothes on to chance it when he heard a knock at his door. Realizing this delay was going to cause him to miss out on a McGriddle, he sighed as he opened the standing there trying to think of what he could have instead, he heard a knock at the front door. And to his surprise, he found his brother standing there smiling at him.

"Morning, Sunshine!"

Zack rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here so early? And why do you have to be so chipper?"

"One, close to ten thirty isn't that early. I've already been up over three hours today. Two, you said you needed my help yesterday trying to figure out how your new calculator works. I had some free time this morning, so here I am. Now, If you don't want my help, I have no problems leaving and going to run some other errands..."

He shook his head and sighed. "No, that's fine..." He paused before grinning. "I get it now! You're here and out of the house to keep from getting yelled at even more back at home, aren't you? Bailey must have ripped you a new one last night! Unless I've missed my guest, you made up the story about helping me out juet to get out of the house for a while, huh? I must say...its actually good to see you the one being in trouble for a change."

Cody rolled his eyes this time. "Not that its any of your business, but I'm not in any trouble at all. Admittedly to my surprise, Bailey was really understanding about what I did and why and was very magnanimous in doling out a pitance of a punishment. It could have been much, much worse, but according to her, we're all good now."

He just gave his brother a look. "Riiiiiight...And if you believe that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you."

"Its true. She didn't make me sleep on the couch last night or assign me extra chores or anything like that. It just so happens that my wife truly is a wonderful person who knows and accepts that I'm not perfect."

"I could have told her that a long time ago!" He shook his head. "Something doesn't seem kosher here though, Bro. I'm almost willing to bet there is something else going on here."

Cody shook his head. "You either need to have faith in people or need to stop reading so many comic books..." He paused. "Besides, the piece de resistance is that I offered her what she would have won if she had won the bed, and she gladly accepted that as my punishment."

"And just what was that exactly?"

He smiled. "Again, none of your business. Now, do you want help with your calculator or not? If not, like I said, I have better things I could be doing today."

"Settle down, Bro. Since Maya is at work for a couple of hours, I guess this is as good a time as any. But would you mind if we did it down the street at the coffee shop. I haven't had breakfast yet, and my stomach is begging for some sustenance."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm in such a good mood, I'll even buy." He paused again and smiled. "Speaking of breakfast though, as a show of my gratitude to her, I did prepare Bailey breakfast in bed this morning before I headed out. Maybe on my way home, I'll stop and buy her another bouquet of flowers to further show my contrition and appreciation for her forgiveness?"

Zack shook his head. "I swear, you are the most whipped guy I know!" He paused as another thought occurred to him. "Speaking of whipped guys, did you ever call Woody back?"

Cody grinned. "I did, and I think I was successful in helping him out."

"If you say so. I hope everything works out for him like he wants. Not only is he my boy, but there is no way he'll ever do better than Addison."

"Agreed, but then again, I think that's a recurring theme among all of us. You know, all of us with ladies much to good for us."

He smirked at him. "Speak for yourself, Broseph. I'm a catch. Now, let me go throw on some clothes and a hat, and we'll get moving."

"Just hurry up then. I do have other things I want to do today."

Ten minutes later, they were on the elevator heading down to the lobby of the Tipton. And when they got there, they almost literally ran into someone who they didn't expect to see up that early in the morning.

"London! What are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes. "I live here, Silly...Just like you do, Zack..."

"No, I mean this early. I didn't think you did anything before noon."

"Well, I ordinarily don't, but I just got back from having breakfast with Chelsea. She was having a carb emergency and needed me to help talk her down." She paused as she remembered something. "So, Cody, is everything okay at home now with you and Bailey? I told Chelsea about what you had done with the cat, and all she could talk about was the fact that you were actually married now and she wasn't..."

"Yeah..." He paused and frowned. "But how did you know there was some temporary trouble? And how did you know it had to do with our cat?"

London smiled. "That's an easy one. I ran into Bailey over here at the hotel yesterday when she was trying to cool off, and she told me all about everything." She began laughing. "And it was lucky for you that I happen to bump into her. I actually had to remind her about her old trickery on the bet you two had back in high school. And if that wasn't enough, I had to remind her of her vow not to do anything foolish without talking to you first..."

Cody shook his head in confusion. "Wait a minute! You're the one who had to remind her about all of that?"

"Sure did! Yay me!"

He paused as he began seething inside. "Isn't that interesting...thank you, London. I owe you a big one."

"No worries. Oh well, little ol' me is off to...bed again. Its still way too early for me to be up and around!" And with that, London got on the elevator.

And after she was gone, Zack just grinned and turned to his brother. "See! I told you something didn't sound kosher about all of that!"

Cody just shook his head. "Unbelievable!"

"Yeah, well hold off on thinking about what you're going to say to her when you get home. I'm still hungry and I still need help with that stupid calculator. And don't forget, you did offer to buy. Not cool to get someone's hopes up like that and then reneg on it."

He just sighed. "Fine. Maybe some time to cool off myself is what I need right now. Right now, I'm angrier that a chicken with a clogged cloaica."

"One, Bailey has definitely rubbed off onto you more than I realize. Two, just remember one little thing. Like you said - she accepts that you're not perfect. You have to do the same and accept she's not perfect either. I mean, for some reason, she actually does love you and willingly married you. Based on that, its obvious she can't be right in the head. Cut her a little slack."

_The Harvard University Bookstore just off the Yard_

That Saturday morning, C.J. was looking forward to taking it easy for a change and spending the day hanging out with his dog. Not that he minded school in the least, but he could tell Rufus was definitely acting a little needy and whiny as of late. Figuring a day over at the park before winter unleashed its full fury on New England would just be what the doctor ordered, he decided both of them should eat some breakfast before heading out. Unfortunately for him though, it was as Rufus was going to town on his big bowl of kibble that his cell phone began ringing. And seeing on the caller ID that it was his older sister calling who was still an undergraduate at Stanford who was interrupting him. Quickly realizing that it was still before eight o'clock on the west coast, he knew something was up if she was calling him that early.

"Hey, Sis...what's up?"

_"C.J.! Thank God you picked up! I need a huge favor from you ASAP!"_

He sighed realizing she called because she needed something. "Of course you do. I'm not sure how helpful I can be thought since I am all the way across the country from you..."

_"I know that, Dummy, but there is this book that I need for one of my classes, and its absolutely impossible to find around here! I've checked at the bookstores all around NorCal, and most have never even hear of it. The ones who have can order it, but it could take weeks to get here..."_

"Okay, calling me Dummy isn't going to make me want to help you..."

_"Yeah, yeah, I've called you that for years though. You know its out of pure affection."_

"Uh huh. Why are you calling me about this though? Why not get them to order it for you?"

_"I will if I have too, but I need it like yesterday for a class of mine. I did some research on it, and it was actually written by a professor at Harvard. Well, you aren't the only one in the family with some brains, so I got up early and began calling around places there to see if they have it. And, I got lucky and found one place that had one copy of it left. I need you to go pick it up for me and then overnight it here to me."_

He sighed. "Alright, fine, but you owe me a big one!. Where is at exactly?"

_"Fine, I'll owe you a big one. Whatever it takes. Its over at the Harvard University bookstore on campus. Now, when I taked to them a few minutes ago, they agreed to hold it on reserve for you if you could get there by noon. Please, Little Bro...do this for me, and I'll do whatever you want me to do..."_

"Uh huh, like I believe that. I remember the last time you said that. And I also still remember the last time you asked me to pick something up for you. I'm bringing my phone with me so you can verify this is the book you actually need before I buy it and ship it. I don't want to get yelled at again for getting you the wrong thing..."

_"Look, I said I was sorry about that back then, and I'm sorry about it again now. Just call me back once you get over there. And please hurry. The reason they're only holding until noon is that's when they close. And they told the post office down the street from it closes at one..."_

C.J. sighed again. "Okay, okay. Give me a few minutes to grab a quick shower and be on my way. I'll call you back in a little while..." After he hung up, he turned to look at Rufus. "Sorry, Boy. We'll have to delay the dog park for a couple of hours. Kelly needs a favor right now, and you and I both know what happens if we don't do what she says..."

About an hour later, C.J found himself standing at the help desk of the Harvard University Bookstore using his phone as a web cam to communicate with his sister.

"Now, are you absolutely sure this is the book you need?"

He could hear his sister sigh over the phone. _"Yes! Thank you so much! Please buy it and take it over to the post office immediately..."_

"Hey, I'm moving as fast as I can here. It'll get done. I..." But before he could finish his thought, he overheard snippets of a conversation from a couple of people behind him in line that immediately caught his attention. What they were talking about simultaneously shocked him and left him speechless. Fortunately, his phone camera was still rolling and captured all of it. He would have probably continued to stand there in disbelief if his sister's voice hadn't brought him back to reality.

_"You still there, C.J.?"_

He just nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm still here. Tell you what, I'll head over to the post office and get this in the mail ASAP. But after that, there is someone else I need to go find quickly..."

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

Back at Cody and Bailey's place, Bailey's conscience was still battling with her. While she had immensely appreciated the breakfast in bed Cody had made for her, she couldn't help stop the pangs of guilt that she was feeling about it. She knew deep down that she hadn't deserved it no matter how good it had been. And it wasn't that she was glad Cody had headed out for the morning, but she knew that if he had hung around the house any longer while bending over backwards to try to please her, Bailey was positive she would have eventually cracked and confessed everything. And she was well aware that if she did confess, he would have legitimate grounds to be angry with her. So, that just settled it in her mind that when he got home, she would insist once and for all that everything go back to normal between them with no more shows of contrition. Her mind seemed to think that was the best course of action though her conscience still disagreed with her.

In hopes of finding something to get her mind off of that, Bailey by chance stumbled upon the perfect diversion. After she had wishing Albie and Allie a good morning and hearing him respond back in kind, she decided that sitting down to sit down with them might be interesting. Her inquisitive nature thought she might be able to get a better understanding of how the cats's minds worked. And to say that some of the things she learned from them was quite startling would have been an understatement. Quickly, Bailey learned the two cats were a bountiful source of gossip from the farm. It seemed people would talk around them and say things they wouldn't normally say because they thought there was no way of it ever being repeated. Albie was in the middle of interpreting a story from Allie about Daphne when the doorbell rang and interrupted them. Bailey got up to answer it and found her sister, Amy standing there smiling at her.

"Good morning, Sis!"

"You're in a good mood..." Bailey paused. "And not that I don't appreciate the visit, but what are you doing here?"

Amy kept grinning. "Well, you're right. I am in a good mood because I have some big news for you. And I figured I should tell you about it in person before you found out about it from someone or somewhere else."

"Oh really? Well, by the look on your face, I'm taking it that this is good news."

She laughed. "I think its really good news, but I can definitely see how Daddy would think it would be very bad news. Lets go sit on the couch, and I'll tell you all about it."

So, that's what they did. But before Amy could begin finishing her story, a smile formed on Bailey's face as she thought she might have figured it out. "Well, if its something that Daddy might not like, my woman's intuition is telling me it could have something to do with you possibly meeting a young gentleman. Am I on the right track?"

Amy shook her head but laughed. "I hate when you do that, but yeah, you are. I did in fact meet someone, and I went out on a double date with him last night..."

Bailey's eyes went wide. "Don't stop there! Tell me everything!"

So, she did. "Well, his friend started it all by talking to Beth in the dining hall and asking her out. Seeing her initial reluctance, he suggested a double date to make her feel more at ease. Long story short, that's what we did last night."

"And? Tell me about this guy you went out with."

"His name is Avery, and his family is from the D.C. area. And he seems like a real gentleman and scholar. He's even planning on being a congressman or senator some day." She laughed. "But, I guess he has some things to learn as he didn't even try anything funny with me last night."

Bailey smiled. "Well, congratulations to you then on potentially meeting your own feller. I promise not to say a word to anyone back home until you're ready to tell them yourself."

"I appreciate that. Of course, you do know that means you can't mention this to Cody either. I don't want to put him in a quandry of feeling he has to report this back to Daddy. If he doesn't know, he won't have to make that decision. So, what I just said doesn't leave this room. So far, you, Beth and I are the only ones who will know about this..."

She paused before laughing. "Well, that's not entirely accurate..." She nodded over to the window sill where the cats were basking in the morning sun. "I'm sure Albie and Allie heard you and know now too."

Amy laughed too. "I think I'll be okay. I mean, I seriously doubt they'll be telling anyone."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Cody and I can actually understand Albie and vice versa. And from what I learned this morning, they love to eavesdrop on juicy pieces of gossip. I won't tell anyone, but you might have to bribe them with tuna to keep them quiet."

At the mention of tuna, Al's ears perked up. But the expression on Amy's face indicated that she thought her sister had lost her mind. "What the feathers are you talking about?"

"Well, you see..." And Bailey proceeded to tell Amy the majority of the story about the Corsican fruit and everything that happened as of that morning. Of course, she did leave out a few details such as Cody's toenails that she had promised to keep a secret.

Amy just shook her head in wonder though. "Wow! Cody is even more clever than I thought! Kudos to him for finding a solution that not only saved him from further cat attacks but also got him exactly what he wanted out of the bet..." She paused. "Now, what exactly did he give you last night that was what you would have won?"

"I'm keeping your secret, so respect the fact that I'm keeping his..." She sighed. "Besides, I still feel terrible about what I did just so I could get that. I've been debating all morning about whether or not I should confess that it was London who had to remind me of everything..."

"Well, I think the smart thing would be not to say anything to him and find other ways to make it up to him while salving your conscience. But, I think we both know you will eventually tell him everything..."

"Yeah...I'd rather him hear it from me that somewhere else."

"Probably a good idea." Amy laughed again. "Speaking of that Corsican stuff though, I wish we would have had it back when I still lived on the farm. Do you have any idea how much easier that would have made things if we could have just asked the animals what was wrong with them or what they wanted instead of having to guess?"

Bailey frowned as that thought hadn't occured to her yet. "Yeah, that would have been really helpful, but I have no idea how much Corsican fruit we even have left here. The government confiscated the rest of it, so its not like we can head down to the supermarket and get more. I'll ask Cody if we have enough to send some back home."

"Good idea. I'm sure that would be news Daddy would love. I..." But before she could finish her thought, Bailey's phone began ringing.

"Hold that thought for a second..." Bailey grabbed her cell phone from the coffee table. And once she saw who it was, she answered the call. "Oh, hey London, what's up? And before I forget, thank you again for yesterday..."

But when she heard what London said next, her eyes went wide. "What!? What do you mean you ran into Cody a little while ago?" She gulped as she heard even more. "And you told him about me stopping by there yesterday and how it was you who had to remind me of those things?" Beads of sweat broke out on her brow. "Yeah, yeah, I'm glad things seem to be back to normal now too. Look, London, Amy is here right now, and I have to go. Talk to you later..."

Amy just looked at her sister. "Is everything okay?"

Bailey shook her head. "Nope! My plan on telling Cody before he found out somewhere else just went out the window. He ran into London over at the Tipton, and she accidentally busted me..."

"Oh...Uh oh!"

"You can say that again!" She stood up. "I hate to run you off, Sis, but I have to try to do some damage control. I need to run out and pick up a few things before Cody gets home...

_A Neighborhood overlooking the Back Bay Fens (a few blocks south of Fenway Park)_

Cody, Bailey and C.J. didn't have a monopoly on having interesting starts to their Saturdays. That same morning, Gabby had her breakfast meeting at a posh downtown bistro with the producers of NBC's 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. And to her surprise and delight, they didn't beat around the bush and immediately made her an offer she couldn't refuse. In exchange for agreeing to do a couple of national promos advertising the upcoming games and accepting a role to do the color commentary as part of the broadcast team for her old sport at the games, NBC was offering to compensate her quite generously. While the offer was more than she could have imagined, the serious student in her naturally had to make sure it wouldn't interfere with the beginning of her second year of medical school. And when she discovered that her contractual obligations would be completed on the Wednesday before school started back the following Monday, she enthusiastically signed her name on the dotted line. Of course, that was after she had negotiated a few other perks for herself that the network agreed to with no haste. In fact, they handed her a cashier's check that was to be her signing bonus, and in Gabby's mind, she knew exactly how she was going to spend it.

After the meeting wrapped up a little after noon, she immediately headed back home to begin her next plan. For the past couple of months, she had one thing on her mind - find somewhere else to live other than Vanderbilt Hall. Living in a dorm had been nice while she was in college or in the Olympic Village, but by then, she was ready to be out on her own in her own place with her own kitchen and bathroom. Gabby figured that if she got a jump on things immediately, she would probably find a better selection of places. So, she pulled up listings for apartments on her laptop and began looking for places near the Longwood Medical Campus. After checking out a few websites of places that left a lot to be desired, she thought she had found a place that would be perfect. Not only was it less than a ten minute walk from the medical school, but the rent also seemed very reasonable. After making a phone call and securing an appointment to look at a place, she immediately headed over to it. And as she was standing around the lobby waiting to meet the complex's manager, she felt tap her on the shoulder. Turning around, she saw a familiar face smiling at her.

"Max? What are you doing here?

"Apartment looking. The fact that you are here too makes me guess you're probably doing the same thing."

Gabby nodded. "Yeah, I am. I figured it was time to get out of the dorm..." She paused when she realized something. "Wait a minute! If you're looking for an apartment too, that must mean you plan on sticking around Boston for a while!"

Max laughed. "You could say that. At least for the next few years anyways. As of this past week, I am officially a student at the Boston Conservatory. I took Zack's suggestion and actually gave it a shot. Somehow, they must have liked what they saw and offered me admission. I was a little hesitant at first to go for it, but after Bailey gave me a pep talk about taking a chance, I decided to go for it. So, here I am."

"Congratulations to you then."

She grinned. "And like you, I'm ready for a change of scenery too. I was planning on staying with my grandmother through the end of the summer, but I came home late one night and she issued a curfew on me. I figured as a 22 year old now, I was too old for that. Add that to the settlement offer I got from my old dance company, and I can now afford to move out on my own. Fortunately for me, one of my Grandma's bridge buddies happened to mention that her son owns this building, and I should talk to him whenever I was ready to move. I am, so, again, here I am..."

"I know the feeling. While I've been ready to move out of the dorms for a while, I came into a windfall of my own this morning that will finally make that possible."

"Oh yeah? What happened?"

"NBC wants me to do some work for the upcoming summer games. Normally, I would try to distance myself from my past, but they made me an offer I couldn't refuse..." Gabby laughed. "And if it gets me out of the dorm, I'm willing to sell a little of my self-respect!"

Max laughed again too. "Hey, I don't blame you."

"So, I began searching for a place to move to. And this place seems to have a perfect location." She pointed in a direction. "The medical school is less than a ten minute walk that way."

Max responded by pointing in the opposite direction. "The Boston Conservator is about a ten minute walk that way." She grinned. "And even better..." She pointed in a third direction. "...Fenway Park is about an eight minute walk that way! So, this place really does have a perfect location for me..."

Gabby teased her. "I would have thought your years in New York would have converted you to a Yankees fan..."

Max's eyes narrowed. "I would never root for any of those bums! It was just my luck that the fall I moved to New York for high school was 2007, the year the Red Sox won another World Series title. If they win another one, I'd determined to be right here when it does. I refuse to miss another celebration!"

She laughed. "You guys up here take your rivalries and your baseball serious. Us Diamondback fans sure don't."

This time, Max teased her. "You guys actually exist? You're the first person I've ever met that's ever admitted to being a D'back fan..."

Gabby rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Yes, we do exist..." She paused. "...though its been fifteen years since we last won our lone World Series."

"Hey, you guys beat the Yankees then, so I give them mad props for that."

The ladies continued on to chat until they were interrupted by the leasing manager of the apartment community. He already knew Gabby was coming, so he was expecting her. Seeing Max kind of surprised him though.

"Hey! Aren't you the granddaughter of my Mom's bridge buddy?"

She nodded. "I sure am. I'm Max. I know I don't have an appointment to see a place, but would you mind if I tagged along with my friend Gabby here?"

He shrugged. "Fine with me if its fine with Miss Martinez. I..." But when he finally got a good look at her, he finally put two and two together in his mind.

"Wait a minute! You're the girl who the gold medal four years ago!"

Gabby just nodded. "Yeah, that's me. And I don't mind at all if Max joins us. I'd love to have another set of eyes and opinions. I'd..."

He cut her off. "Whatever you say! Let me say this, Miss Martinez - we'd love to have a celebrity of your status living here! In fact, I know just the apartment to show you. Follow me!"

And with that, he began walking away excitedly. Max just shook her head and laughed. "Looks like your fame is getting you into another door today whether you like it or not."

She shrugged. "If its the door to my own place, I'll deal with it."

An hour later, both of the women had been shown a model of the premium one bedroom apartment the complex had. The fact that the unit had its own kitchen, washer & dryer, and parking space in the underground garage had them sold on it.

"I like it. Would you have available units at the first of August?"

The guy nodded. "Oh Yeah! I'm almost positive we will." He paused before looking around. Once he saw they were alone, he leaned into them. "But for a potential VIP resident like yourself, I have a couple of units that over look the Back Bay Fens itself available come the middle of March."

Gabby smiled. "So, one for me, and one for my friend, Max?"

"Whatever you say!"

She paused. "Middle of March, huh? That would be spring break for me, so I would actually have the time to move. Would that work for you too, Max?"

Max nodded. "My spring break is the same time, so it would be perfect..." She paused to think. "No offense to my grandmother, but the sooner I'm out of her house, the better. Plus, this will make my commute the rest of the semester so much easier. Plus, I'd be here for opening day..."

"Sounds good to me too. So, you up to being neighbors?"

"I say we do it!"

The leasing consultant smiled. "Excellent! Lets head down to the office and do some paperwork then. Welcome to our little community here, Miss Martinez!" He paused. "And to you too, Max..."

Gabby turned to Max, smiled, and extended her hand. "It'll be nice to have someone around that I know."

Max shook it. "Same here. And thanks for letting me ride your coattails..."

She smiled. "Not a problem. You can buy lunch when we leave here to go celebrate..."

"Consider it done!" She paused and laughed. "And as for March, I can think of several people we can get to help us move..."

_Just Outside the Subway Station near Tipton Town_

Immediately after he finished buying the book his sister needed, C.J. made a beeline to the campus post office and overnighted it out to California. But once that task was done, he had to make one more stop while on Harvard's campus. Unfortunately, it would be for not as the person he was looking for was nowhere to be found. Realizing he needed another plan of attack, he decided to head back home. And as he rode on the subway, he couldn't help but think about what he had overhead earlier. He even played it again a few times on his phone to make sure he had heard it correctly. Once he saw that he had, he began to hope he had everything wrong. But there was only one person who could confirm or deny it, and he couldn't find her. As he left the subway stop near his house, he tried to think of other ways to get in touch with this person when he heard his name being called out. Stopping in mid stride, he looked up and began searching for the source when he saw Amy walking towards him and smiling.

"Well, well. Look at you. Its a Saturday morning, and you're out and about without Rufus. Something tells me he might not be all that happy about that."

He paused and nodded. "Yeah, probably not. He and I were going to head to the dog park today, but something came up to delay that..."

"Better be something good for him to buy that..." And that was when she took a good look at him and realized that he was kind of pale and in a somber mood. "Just a joke. Are you alright?"

C.J. sighed and shook his head. "To be honest, I'm not sure. In fact, Its actually a good thing that I ran into you. I was running an errand for my sister earlier, and I happened to overhear something that could potentially be bad. But I need your assistance in determining whether or not its as bad as I thought it might be."

Amy gave him a confused look. "Yeah, sure thing. Anything I can do to help. So, what's up?"

"Well, you remember back before school started back when you told me you were the only female student in the Harvard freshmen class from Kansas?"

She nodded. "Yeah..."

"Are you absolutely 100% sure about that?"

She gave him a funny look. "Pretty sure. Why?"

He ignored her and continued on with his questions. "And where is your roommate from again?"

"Kentucky. Why does that matter though? What's going on, C.J.?"

C.J. shook his head and sighed again. "I was afraid of that!"

"Why? Tell me what's going on."

"Well, you see, my sister called me earlier this morning asking me to do her a big favor. Well, to keep peace in the family, I agreed, and I had to go over to the Harvard University Bookstore earlier to pick up a book for her. And while I was there..." He paused. "You know, maybe we should head over to my place? This is something you might want to be seated to hear..."

By now, Amy was really confused. "Seated? You're acting really weird right now. Is everything okay, C.J.?"

He paused. "I'll let you determine that once you hear the rest of what I have to say..."

Amy was starting to get worried about her friend's mental state, so she agreed and followed him back the short walk to his townhouse. Once inside (after she made sure to say hello to Rufus again), they both sat down on his couch.

"Okay, I'm sitting down now - spill it..."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "To make sure I got the exact book that my sister needed, I had my video camera on my phone going and transmitting to her. She verified it was the right thing, and I was about to check out when I overheard two guys talking. Well, what they said caught my attention, and I happened to record it on my phone..." He pulled out his phone so she could see the screen and pressed play. "Do those two guys look familiar to you at all?"

Amy frowned as she did indeed recognize them. "Yeah, they do. That's Jeremy and Avery. There two guys Beth and I went out on a double date with last night..." She paused. "But how in the world would you know that?"

C.J. cringed. "Yeah, that bad feeling I had just got even worse. I want you to listen to the conversation between them. You should hear what they had to say..."

He turned up the volume, and they both just stared at the small screen and listened.

_"__Man, last night was totally brutal! We spent all kinds of cash on those two and got nothing!"_

_"__Tell me about it! But, sometimes, we have to play the game first if we expect to score..."_

_"__I guess you're right..." _The one guy began to laugh. _"__Just think, soon, we'll be able to cross off two of the toughest ones on our list to cross off around these parts, the 'K' states."_

The other guy laughed too. _"Damn right we will! Its taken me almost four years here, but I'll have 48 of the 52 states marked off if you include Puerto Rico and D.C. I just need Alaska, Idaho, Kansas and Kentucky. So, once your done with that stupid freshman farm girl from Kansas, send her my way. I'm not about to miss my chance to mark off two at the same time..."_

_"__You got it. And you do the same with her bubblehead roommate from Kentucky for me."_

The other guy laughed. _"Dude, I can already tell t__his is going to be a great semester!"_

That was the end of the footage that C.J had, and he turned off his phone. He looked up at Amy. "I remembered you telling me you were the only freshman girl from Kansas, but I was hoping I was wrong about that. That's why I began looking for you to make sure one way or the other..."

But Amy was just sitting there in shock, shaking her head back and forth. At first, she was in total and complete disbelief about what she had just heard. But quickly, the ramifications of what Jeremy and Avery had said began to sink in. And when they did, her shock rapidly turned to an absolute rage. "Why those sons of..."

He cut her off. "I know, I know. And you have every reason to be upset right now..."

By then, her face had turned red, and C.J. thought he might have saw steam coming from her ears. If that wasn't bad enough, the scowl on her face looked borderline evil. "Upset!? Upset?! I'm beyond upset right now! I'm going to go find those neanderthals and kill them!" She stood up as to do something until he pulled her back down in hopes of trying to calm her down.

"Not right now! I'm not letting you anywhere right now. Yeah, those two are lower than pond scum, but don't go doing something stupid that could end up getting you kicked out of school..."

Amy gave him a look of pure disbelief. "What do you suggest I do then? I can't let them get away with this! I have to do something!"

C.J. smiled at her. "I know you do, and knowing you, I know you won't let this pass without the appropriate response. But, answer me this though, what would the Amy who once totally screwed over that Squirrel guy for messing with her do right now?"

She paused and took a deep breath. "You're absolutely right. Its like I told you – don't get mad, get even. Make them pay in a way they'll never forget..."

"Exactly. That's what I did, and it made me feel a lot better about what the sorority girl from Northeastern tried to do to me."

She nodded. "Yeah, you got her good. Now, I just need to find the perfect way to show those creeps that messing with me was the worst thing they ever could have done." She paused to think, and a few minutes later, she began laughing. "And I think I know exactly what I'm going to do!"

That caught C.J. off guard. "You know what you're going to do already?"

Amy grinned. "Oh yeah! And I'm going to need your help in pulling it off..."

He gave her a surprised look. "My help? Doing what exactly?"

"Oh, I need those computer and technological skills of yours. Plus, I have something else I might need you to do if you're willing. Are you free on Friday night?"

C.J. paused to think. "Well, technically, yeah, but I do have two finals that morning. I'm not sure what kind of condition I'll be in to be much use afterwards though."

She nodded. "I completely understandd. Would Saturday work better for you?"

"Yeah, I guess it would. But before I agree to anything, would you mind telling me what this plan of yours is? If at all possible, I'd rather not end up in jail..."

"Oh, I think you'll enjoy what I have in mind. Here's what I'm thinking..." Amy proceeded to tell him what her idea was. And when she was done, he just gave her a look that was a combination of horror and admiration.

"I know I've said it before, but remind me again to never get on your bad side!"

She smiled. "Never happen! If it wasn't for you, I would have never known about any of this. Thank you for bring this to my attention."

C.J. shrugged. "Hey, we're friends, and friends look out for one another."

"Well, you were definitely looking out for me and Beth on this one. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd send me a copy of that clip so I can show it to Beth when I get home."

"Consider it done."

She stood up. "Thanks again." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "You know, its good to have friends you can really count on. First my computer and now this - I guess I owe you another big one."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I found out when I did."

"You and me both..." She grinned. "But, something tells me our revenge is going to be something those two jerks will never forget..."

_Cody and Bailey's Place_

It was probably a good thing that Cody didn't finish helping out Zack with his new calculator until a little after one o'clock that afternoon. By then, he had a chance to cool down and think about thinks a little bit. He couldn't deny that it still stung a little bit though that Bailey had to have London point out all of those things to her. But the thing that really bothered him was that she hadn't come clean about it when she got home. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she had failed to mention that. However, he knew he would never get any answers unless he actually talked to her, and to do that, he would have to head back home.

Once he got on the subway and took a seat, Cody just sighed as he wondered what would happen when he got home. But as he sat there looking out the window as the tunnel flashed by, he heard a voice.

"Are you alright, Son? You seem to have the weight of the world on your shoulders..."

Cody turned and saw an old man smiling at him. "I guess you could say that. My wife has done something that has infuriated and confused me..."

The old man laughed. "You better get used to that then. If you plan on being married a long time, its going to happen from time to time. But at the end of the day, if you truly love your wife, you learn to just shake your head and deal with it."

About thirty minutes later, Cody walked up the steps from the subway station nearest to his house. Opening the front door, he walked in ready for what was about to happen. But like Bailey had the day before, he immediately noticed a very pleasant aroma eminating from the kitchen. So, like she had done, he figured that must be where she was and began walking in that direction. And just as he walked into the kitchen, Bailey happened to look up and see him.

"Hey..."

"Hey..." He paused. "Look, its come to my attention that there is something we need to talk about."

Bailey grimaced. "I know we do. London called me and told me she ran into you and told you about my talk with her yesterday. I know I should have told you about it myself, and I am so sorry that I didn't..." She held up a plate. "I made some of your favorite cookies as kind of a peace offering."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I could smell them once I walked in the door..."

"And I would have gotten you flowers, but I didn't think think you would like them. I did go to a nursery to see if I could find you a rhododendron and a periwinkle since I know you like both of those, but they were fresh out of both." She held up a paper bag. "So, I got you this instead. I know you've wanted one for a while. Consider this my peace offering #2."

He took the bag from her and looked inside. And he was surprised to see what it contained. "Wait a minute! Is this one of those ear wax vacuums? I've wanted one of these since I first saw the commercial!"

Bailey nodded. "I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I hope this makes up for it in some way. Cody, I know screwed up yesterday. I should have told you that it was London that reminded me of that stupid bet we made in high school and not me. I felt so stupid when I had to have her point out to me that I had done pretty much the same thing you had done. And to my shame, I had to have her remind me that I got mad and stormed off without talking to you first like I vowed to do several years ago..."

"Yeah, about that..."

She kept going as tears began welling in her eyes. "But I also realized that unlike you, I have no justifiable reason for what I did. You actually ended up becoming friends with Albie while I got blinded by you offering to let me finally paint your toenails. I have no excuse for my selfish behavior. I was weak, and I couldn't help myself. All I can do is promise you that nothing like that will ever happen again..." She reached for something on the counter. "And since I don't deserve what you did last night, I'm offering you some of my nail polish remover to try to erase what happened yesterday..."

Cody smiled to himself. "I appreciate that, but..."

But Bailey wasn't done yet though. "And I fully accept whatever further punishment you feel like I deserve. Whether it be a naughty nurse or Catholic school girl or even a gold bikini with me rolling my hair in buns, I'll do whatever it takes to show you that..."

He had had enough and put his finger up to her lips. "Can I speak now?"

She winced and nodded. "Of course you can. Sorry about rambling."

"I like it when you ramble. Now, I fully admit that immediately after I talked to London, I was pretty ticked off. But, I've had time to think about things since then and cool off myself. So, since I can acknowledge that it helped me and was something I needed, there is no way I can hold it against you for doing the exact same thing. I'm just as guilty of not immediately confronting of you as you were. I had hoped we had moved past both of us having periodic bouts of stupidity, but I guess we still need to work on that."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I guess we haven't come as far as we had hoped."

He smiled. "No, but as long as we keep learning from our mistakes, I think we'll be okay in the end. Now, as for everything else, I had to have someone speak to me to make me realize just how stupid all of this was. Sweetie, in the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters."

Bailey gave him a hopeful look. "You really think so?"

Cody kept smiling. "I really do. On my way home, I ran into an older gentleman on the subway who noticed I looked troubled. Well, I mentioned we were having a few issues, and he laughed it away saying that was completely normal for a married couple. And since he and his wife had been married for almost sixty years, I figured he was probably a pretty good authority on the matter."

"Good for them."

"I thought so too. Unfortunately, that's when I happened to notice he was carrying a small bouquet of flowers. When I asked him if the flowers were for his wife, he gave me a sad smile and said they sort of were. They were actually for her headstone as she had passed away a year ago today. And then, he proceeded to tell me that he missed her more and more everyday and would give anything to have another day with her even if it meant putting up with all of the little things she did that drove him crazy."

"Ohhh...That's so sad."

"I had the same reaction, but it took that for to finally open my eyes. Bails, that guy would have gladly trade me places right then. He lost the woman he loved, but I still had mine right here waiting for me. And that's why I think in the grand scheme of things, little bumps in the road like this mean absolutely nothing. No matter how infuriated we can make each other, at the end of the day, we still have each other."

She smiled. "I would agree with that 100%."

He smiled again. "So, if your agreeable, I'm suggesting we call everything a wash. And I mean a complete and total wash. We both screwed up, and we're both sorry. Hopefully, we'll both learn from this."

Bailey nodded vigorously. "I am agreeable, and I really am sorry."

Cody paused as he got a weird feeling. "You know? I can really tell that you are. I think you might be right about what you said yesterday. The Corsican fruit may not let us read each other's minds, but I think its letting us feel what the other is feeling."

"I think so too. Maybe it works like that for us because we have such a strong bond with each other?"

He smiled. "Sounds like a good explanation to me. However, I think it will probably be a good idea for us to get rid of the rest of the Corsican fruit we do have. That way, it can't cause any more problems. I think Al would understand."

She paused. "Do we have to? Amy stopped by earlier, and she made a very good point. We've used it to be able to speak with our cats and understand what they have to say. She suggested we send some back to the farm thinking how much easier it would make things to talk to all of the animals there."

"To be honest, that thought had crossed my mind as well. But in the end, I thought it could end up causing more problems that it helps."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Al and Allie are our pets and life the life of leisure. Relatively speaking, they don't have much to complain about. But, back on the farm, most of the animals are used to work or for their wool or worse yet, their meat. Would your family really want to hear the animals complain or their cries for mercy right before they were slaughtered?"

Bailey winced. "I hadn't thought of it like that. Strike that idea!"

Cody laughed. "Probably a good decision, but it was interesting idea to think about..."

"How much stuff is left anyways?"

"Well, we have a whole box full of jars that will last us a while. And there are some seeds that we can plant on our rooftop garden this spring. Fortunately, Corsican fruit grows in plants like tomatoes instead of trees. So, we should have a plentiful supply for as long as we want it."

Bailey smiled. "I think we should keep using it. Besides finding out interesting things from the cats, I kind of like us being able to sense the other's feeling..." She reached out to hug him before pausing again. "So, are we really good now?"

Cody pulled her into him and hugged her tonight. "Yeah, we're better than good."

"Thank you, Sweetie. And after the next batch of cookies come out of the oven, we'll get to work clearing off your toenails..."

He pulled back and winced. "Well, since we're being honest with each other, there is something else I should tell you. And after I do, you might think I deserve to have the polish on a while longer..."

She gave him a confused look. "What?"

"You remember the follow up bet we made back on the boat?"

"Yeah, a foot rub on whether you could convince London that the ship was being held up by a giant merman."

He laughed. "Well, I knew that London believed in mermaids from one of her adventures back at the Tipton. I used that tidbit of information to my advantage and knew it would help me in my attempt to convince her..."

"Cody!"

"See? I told you that you might think I deserve a little comeuppance. Now, I do ask that I be able to lose the polish before we begin Integrated Human Physiology class not this Monday but the Monday after? I would really rather all of our male classmates to find out about this..."

She laughed. "Well, I guess that works. But, it does remind me that I do need to pay you off for winning our second bet though. A bet is a bet."

Cody paused again. "Actually, you don't. It too wasn't a completely fair bet as I again had some insider information. I know you know now that Al asked me to bring Allie home with us, but when I told him that when she would have to be spayed, he told me she would willingly do that..."

"I see. Something tells me that on any future bet we have, we need to right it up. That way, we can add clauses to punish either one of us that uses any underhanded tricks."

He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

Bailey paused. "I guess, but I do have to ask you one thing. Back on the farm, why did you let me fawn all over you when you agreed to bring Allie back home with us when you were about to ask me the same thing?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "Why? Because you were fawning all over me! For the rest of my life, I will never get tired of you doing and telling me stuff like that. Like you said earlier, I was weak and couldn't help myself..."

She just shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

Cody paused before smiling. "Well, we just did have our first really big fight as a married couple. You know what that means?"

"What's that?"

He winked at her. "It means its our chance to really make up after our first big fight as a married couple.."

_To be Continued..._

**AN: Sorry it took so long to get a new chapter posted. I've almost completed Episode 25, so they should be a bit more regular from now on.**


	21. Poetic Justice

_Chapter 21_

_"Poetic Justice"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

___Cody and Bailey's Place, the following Friday afternoon_

Both Cody and Bailey were immensely grateful that the drama they had in their lives the previous weekend had been disposed of and become a distant memory. In fact, both of them had immensely enjoyed making up after their first real patch of turbulence in their marriage. Unfortunately for them though, they did have much time to bask in that glow as they had to return back to the grind of school and impending exams. While that Saturday evening was a chance for a little alone time together, they had to spend all day Sunday as well as every single moment of free time the following week studying for their two finals in Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health and Health Care Policy. And those two tests would pose a first for them they had had never experienced before in their pursuit of higher educaton. This was going to be a first that in either medical school or college that they would have finals back to back let alone on the same day before. But, as per their usual, they prepared themselves the best they knew how. And by one o'clock on Friday, they both returned home feeling absolutely exhausted and collapsed into their couch.

"Okay, that was not any fun at all. I know you're the one training for a marathon, but I felt like I just ran one myself."

Bailey sighed. "You can say that again. By themselves, neither one of them would have been that bad, but back to back was like playing a doubleheader."

"Yeah, you can now add Ernie Banks to my list of people who are full of it..." Cody shook his head. "Lets play two he says..."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think he he meant medical school exams when he said that. Anyways, look on the bright side - the only active class we still have in progress right now is our Patient/Doctor I one. That's has to a positive, right?"

He nodded. "I guess, but that'll only be through this weekend. Remember, next week we do add Integrated Human Physiology class everyday from 8:30-12:30 and then again from 1:30-3:30 on Tuesday afternoons. And then starting next Thursday, we have Medical Ethics and Professionalism class on those afternoons from 1:30-3:30."

Bailey yawned. "Yaeh, yeah. I say we worry about those next week. I think a nap sounds really good right now."

Cody yawned too. "I concur 100%, Bails. Though, before we do, we should probably get some lunch or else we'll be starving later. We shouldn't through off our metabolism by skipping meals."

Bailey gave him a smile. "Well, all means, if you have the energy to do so, go right ahead and fix us something..."

"Actually, I was just thinking of calling Jimmy John's and ordering us a couple of subs..."

"Oh...Good idea. Order me the usual then."

Cody laughed. "Yes, Ma'am. While I do that though, why don't you go out and check our mail."

She briefly paused and shivered as she remembered how cold it was outside. "How about I call in our order and you go outside and get the mail? I mean...I've already kicked off my shoes and everything..."

He just laughed again. "I knew that was coming...But if I get get frostbite, I'll blame you."

Bailey smiled at him. "I don't think you can get frostbite by being outside for a few minutes. Tell you what though. If you do get a chill, I'll snuggle with you while we nap to get your body heat back up."

He began rubbing his chin. "I seem to remember us doing that once before. And as I recall, I rather immensely enjoyed us doing that." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll head out, but don't forget, we have something else we have to before this weekend is up."

"I know, and I already sat my bottle of polish remover out on the sink this morning. Your feet will look normal again by the time the day is out."

"Good." Cody paused and smiled. "Have I mentioned yet much more I like it when we have no reason to be mad or upset with each other?"

"If you haven't, then I have." She grinned. "I admit, I hate fighting with you, but I do love making up with you."

"You and me both..." Cody reluctantly forced himself to get up off the couch. "Alright, I'm heading outside now...I guess."

"Don't take too long. The windchill out there is minus ten."

He paused. "Why don't they just say that's how cold it is? Why tell us is ten degrees but feels like minus ten? I care more about how cold it feels to me than how cold it feels to a thermometer."

"Sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

"Go get the mail."

He smiled. "Yes, Dear."

Ten minutes later, Bailey had called in their lunch and was curled up on the couch underneath one of the blankets they kept on the back of it. When Cody finally returned from getting their mail, she could see he was totally engrossed in reading something.

"Is one of our bills wrong again? I don't know how many times I have to tell our cell phone provider that we are now on a family plan instead of two separate accounts."

He looked up with a frown on his face. "I wish that's all this was. Unfortunately, it seems that in addition to the arctic blast outdoors, we also just got a blast from the past."

Upon seeing his expression, she began to worry. "What do you mean? What do you have there?"

Cody walked over and sat down next to her on the couch. "Its a notice from the New Haven Judicial District Court..."

Bailey frowned. "New Haven? Did we have a parking ticket or something else like that that we don't remember?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Again, I wish that's what this was about. You remember our old 'friend', Theo?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, according to this, New Jersey is just about finished prosecuting him. Even though he'll probably be in prison there for a while, it seems Connecticut wants their crack at him ASAP. The prosecuting attorney wants to work out a time for us to head back down there and meet to discuss our future testimony. It seems our hopes of never seeing ol' Theo again may have just been dashed..."

___Apley Court, Saturday afternoon_

The following afternoon, about three o'clock or so, C.J. found himself looking up at Apley Court on Harvard's campus. Immediately, he began shaking his head and laughing incredulously as to what he was supposed to do that day. He still wasn't quite sure how he had gotten roped into all of this, but he had. In a matter of moments, he would begin the walk upstairs and embark on his part in one of the craziest and most insane plans he had ever heard of in his whole life. And even though the vast majority of him was afraid that something was definitely going to go wrong, a small part of him was actually kind of excited thinking about it all. In all of his years at Stanford, he had never once had the opportunity or desire to do anything like this, but for the first time in his life, he was actually beginning to feel like a real college student. Of course, that might have been because he knew he was about to do something potential really stupid but was going to do it anyways. So, shrugging his shoulders, he headed inside Apley Court and made his way up to Amy and Beth's dorm room. And before could even knock on their door, the door swung open with a very anxious coed giving him a dirty look.

"About time you got here! You're late!"

C.J. checked his watch in confusion. "My watch says its 2:59. You said be here by three..."

"Come on in then..." And once he was inside, Amy took a deep breath. "Sorry about that. I've got a lot of anger pent up inside me right now, and I know I have to supress it and put on an Oscar worthy performance tonight. If I don't, the entire plan I came up with goes up in smoke."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. I think I understand."

"No, I have absolutely no right to be snippy with you at all. If it wasn't for you, Beth and I would still be in the dark about those two creeps. Well, tonight, the female gender gets a little revenge!"

"Well, for everyone's sake, I hope this goes off without a hitch..."

She grinned. "Trust me, it will." She paused. "Before I forget though, how did your finals go yesterday? Bailey said they were pretty grueling back to back."

"She was right. I barely made it home before I crashed. Good thing you postponed doing this until today. There's a good chance I would have fallen asleep in the middle of it."

"Good. No excuses for you today then."

About that time, Beth came out of her room and saw that they had company. And when she saw who it was, she smiled.

"Hey, C.J.! Thank you again for giving us the heads up about those two jerks."

He shrugged. "Not a problem. I have sisters of my own and hope someone would do the same for them. You know, do good things and good things will happen to you."

She laughed. "Karma, huh? I definitely get that. I was a huge fan of My Name is Earl when I was younger. Anyways, I think you're building up beaucoup goodwill for going along with Amy's crazy plan..." She paused. "I knew my roommate was a little devious, but this blew me away."

Amy gave her roommate a look. "Its not crazy, its creative!" She turned to C.J and nudged him. "Right?"

He held up his hands. "I'm not about to get in the middle of a potential argument between you two on this. I'm just here to help."

"Right. Well, lets give you the grand tour of our dorm room, and you can tell me what you think our options are."

C.J. nodded, and that's what they did. And once they were done seeing everything, he paused to think about a possible gameplan. "I think this place will work perfectly. And I think I know exactly what I need to do, but why don't you go over your plan in detail just one more time. Above all, don't leave anything out, and I mean even the slightest of details. It could make or break this entire thing."

So, Amy did. And once she was done, he just shook his head as he looked around the dorm room once again. "Alright, I guess this is doable, but for it to work, you must really think these two guys are complete idiots."

"Of course we do. From what I learned from my sisters over Christmas, all guys are idiots!"

C.J. smirked at her. "Gee...thanks!"

She began laughing. "Hey, no offense, but you're an idiot too. Fortunately, you're one of the good ones."

He paused. "Again...thanks, I think."

"You're welcome. Anyways, we're just holding these two to the same cranial capacity they must think we have. I mean, they must really think were fresh from the farm if they thought they're little plan was going to work. Plus, its apparent they are both cocky as can be. Overconfidence leads to making mistakes."

Beth nodded. "Plus, turning the tables on them and making them the fools will make it all that much sweeter."

C.J. shrugged. "Alright then..." He paused as he thought of one more thing. "Wait a minute! Are you both sure you're RA or dorm master or whatever is going to be okay with all of this?"

Amy grinned. "Of course! When we told her what we were going to do, she even offered to help us in any way she could. In fact, her sister is a professor here on campus, and had been telling her that she's tired of hearing about stories about women on campus being victims. Our RA even said that her sister wants to see if this works so she can use it in one of her classes as an example of retribution and poetic justice."

"If you say so. Speaking of retriubution though, do you two really think you two can be around those two tonight without wanting to beat the living daylights out of them?"

"Oh, I think so..." Beth laughed. "Besides, might as well get another free meal out of it. Now, being able to keep it down afterwards when we have to really start acting is another story."

He nodded again until he thought once more of the giant elephant in the room. "Okay, what happens if these two don't want to follow the script of the plan. I'll be here, but what if something happens before you get back?"

Amy grinned. "Don't worry about that - we can take care of ourselves just fine. Besides having little containers of mace on our key chains, Bailey and Maya kept talking about the self defense classes they took in college. Well, the dean of freshmen set up a series of free classes for freshmen girls to take last semester, and we did."

C.J. gave them both a look before sighing. "Yet another reason not to get on either of your bad sides..."

"Hey, after tonight, we'll both owe you big. Like I keep telling you, getting on either of our bad sides is one thing you don't have to worry about." Amy began laughing. "Well, as long as you don't turn into a butthead like Aiden and Jeremy."

"Point taken. Okay, well, I know what I need to get from home to bring back. When should I be back here tonight and have everything set up?"

"They're supposed to be picking us up at eight. So, you should be safe to come back here by a quarter after. And before I forget, let me give you the spare key to the room. None of this will work if you can't get in here."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll be back by then..." He paused. "But, if the plan looks like its going to fall apart before either of you get back, call me ASAP."

Amy smiled. "We appreciate the concern, but I think we'll be okay."

"I hope so..." C.J. headed for the door. "Well, I guess I'll see you two ladies later on tonight then."

"Yeah, you will. And when you do, that's when all the fun is going to start."

___A Movie Theater near Fenway Park_

Max and Gabby had decided it was time to secure their 'helpers' for their upcoming move in a couple of months. So, that evening, they invited everyone out to see a movie who didn't already have previous plans. They had chosen a movie that they knew everyone had been anxious to see in hope that everyone would be in a good mood after it was over. They reasoned that the better the mood everyone was in, the more receptive they would be to lending them a hand. So, about eight o'clock, both Zack and Maya and Bailey and Cody arrived at pretty much the same time. And as the guys waited out in the cold to buy their tickets, the ladies headed in to the warmth of the lobby to hit up the snack bar. As they waited and shivered, Zack turned to his brother.

"Well, from the way you two were holding hands when you got her, it looks like you two are pretty much back to normal..." He grinned. "I'm guessing you remembered my advice that she wasn't perfect."

Cody paused before shrugging. "Yeah, for once, you did actually have a valid point there. Neither one of us is perfect though."

"So how long was who in the doghouse?"

He shook his head. "Actually, no one was for no length of time. Last Saturday once I got back home, we sat down and talked about everything that had happened and realized we both made mistakes. We both vowed to try harder the next time to not be idiots again."

Zack gave him an incredulous look. "That's it? No screaming or throwing things or broken bones?"

Cody laughed. "Nope, nope and nope. You see, after my ride home that day on the subway, I had someone put things into perspective for me. After hearing what he had to say, nothing else but making up with Bailey mattered."

"What did he have to say? Was he some kind of psychiatrist or something?" After Cody told him, Zack paused too. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. Something like that would tend to put things into perspective I guess. I should remember that the next time Maya and I have a fight..."

Cody just shook his head and laughed again. "I know I should be used to it by now, but every once in a while, the new improved and mature Zack still finds a way to blow my mind."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

"Anyways, the point is Bailey and I are very good now. We can't wait to head to New York City to celebrate Valentine's Day..." He grinned. "In fact, I've already reserved us a room in the hotel across the street from Marcus' building."

"Why would you do something like that? Why pay when you have a free place to stay?"

He gave his brother an incredulous look this time. "Gee, let me think. I could stay in an apartment with a bunch of other people or somewhere else where I can be all alone with me wife? Hard choice there..."

Zack paused to consider that fact. "Good point. You got the number for that place handy?"

Cody laughed again. "I'll email it to you tomorrow."

"Well, if you two are looking forward to some alone time, it really does look like you two are back to what you two consider normal..."

"We like to think so, but we did decide on a few things. For one, all of our future bets must be put in writing where we can stipulate what is and what isn't allowed. Failure to abide by those terms will cause the offending party to forefeit the bet automatically lose."

"What's the fun in that?"

"Well, its something I wish I had insisted on with you back in the day. There would have been no more you trying to change the terms of one our bets after you lost."

"What are you talking about? I would never do anything like that!"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Uh huh..."

Zack paused for a minute. "Speaking of losing bets though, are you ever going to tell me what you she was to get if she won?"

"Nope! And whatever it was she got, it no longer exists anymore."

Zack looked at him in confusion. "No longer exists? Unless it was some kind of food, that makes no sense whatsoever..."

Cody grinned. "Good to see Harvard has improved your critical thinking skills. Now, how about I change the subject to something that won't boggle your mind so much?"

Zack smirked at him. "Such as?"

"Get this. We got a letter yesterday from the courts in New Haven. Seems the district attorney down there is beginning to preparing their case against Theo, and they wanted us to know his case would probably begin sometime late this summer. At that point, we'll have to go back and testify."

"Don't they know you guys are in medical school?"

"We called them and told them about that, and they said they'd try to work around our schedules as much as possible. Bailey called Gertie and Tapeworm too and advised them to call the DA and tell them about their schedules as well."

Zack shook his head. "I was hoping you guys would be done with all of that. I'm kind of glad neither Maya nor I had to testify against that big oaf Bruno a few years ago."

Cody shrugged. "Same here, but we'll do what we have to do. We both want to see justice done."

"Well, knowing Theo, he won't be happy to see you guys again. He's probably been fuming this whole time about you two getting the best of him last time."

"I had the exact same thoughts, but that's another reason we have to do this – to keep him locked up for as long as possible. Hopefully, the next time he breathes free air, he'll have a long gray beard."

Zack nodded. "True..." He paused and grinned. "Look on the bright side though – he's probably already become someone's girlfriend in prison. And this time, his money won't be able to help him."

Cody laughed. "That would prove there is karma..." He paused. "Enough of me though, how are things going with you? Has that Will guy showed his face again? You told me all about that little stunt he tried to pull with that guy Maya new from high school."

"He hasn't yet, but you know it has to be coming at some point. I'm just waiting for him to do something, and then it'll be on like Donkey Kong!"

"What? You're going to throw barrels at him?"

Zack smirked. "You know what I mean!"

"Well, for both of your sakes, I hope he doesn't try anything stupid. Hopefully, he'll just buy a clue and go away."

"That's what Maya's hoping for too. And, if I'm honest, I guess I am too. I kind of like my life to be drama free."

Cody shook his head and laughed. "You and me both, Bro...you and me both." He paused and nodded over at another guy. "Unlike that guy over there. I kind of feel sorry for him."

Zack looked over and frowned. "Why would you feel sorry for him? Do you know him?"

"No, but take another look at him and tell me what you see."

He did and shrugged. "What? Yeah, he's sweating like a pig and acting all awkward, but why should I feel sorry for him?"

"One, pigs don't have sweat glands. Bailey taught us that a long time ago. Two, its about twelve degrees out here. Now, look who's standing next to him and ponder why he would he be sweating so much."

Zack paused and began laughing. "He's on a first date!"

"Exactly! I definitely don't miss that nerve wracking feeling."

"Its my turn to say you and me both..."

Cody gave his brother a surprised look. "You?"

Zack laughed again. "Oh, don't get me wrong. Back in the day, I loved the thrill of the hunt. But I'm so glad I don't have to deal with all the stupid stuff anymore. You've converted me, Bro. I'm happy to be in a committed relationship."

"You better be, or the hunt this time will end with your head mounted up on Maya's wall." He paused as a thought occured to him. "You know, there is something you could do that would drive that Will guy crazy..."

"And what would that be?"

"Put that ring you already have on Maya's finger! You two being engaged would let him know once and for all that she's unavailable!"

Zack just shook his head. "I don't think so. Besides, I've already got a plan of attack for how I'm going to propose to her."

Cody gave him another look. "Okay, this I have to hear!"

___Apley Court, about ten o'clock that night_

It turns out that Amy had been absolutely correct in her thinking about one aspect of the evening. In her opinion, she had put on an Oscar worthy performance in making Aiden think she wasn't that smart and was actually eating out of the palm of his hand. Certain parts were difficult for her though. Every time he tried to touch her, she pulled away before trying to play coy. In reality though, she was doing everything in her power to resist the urge to shiver or throw up or punch him in the face or all three. After dinner was over though, she threw out her bait and asked him if he wanted to skip the movie and head back to her dorm room. Fortunately, Aiden was so sure of himself that he fell for it hook, line and sinker. When finally they made their way up to her door, she opened it and pretended to try to turn on the lights. And when they failed to turn on, she turned to him with a mock frown on her face.

"Why don't you go ahead inside and get comfortable on the futon. I just need to run downstairs and report this to maintenance."

He grinned. "Can't you do that later? I don't think we'll need the lights..."

She laughed. "Ordinarily, I'd agre. But I want this to be a priority for them. I have some homework I really have to get done tomorrow. I'm pretty sure Harvard professors don't accept no lights as an excuse for not turning in your homework."

Aiden shrugged. "Fair enough..." He grinned again. "But don't take too long though..." And with that, he leaned in and tried to kiss her.

But Amy held him back and grinned back. "Save that for later, Big Boy. In fact, when I get back, I'll join you on the couch. And when I do, don't say a word and just start doing what we both want to do right now..."

His eyes went wide. "You've got it!"

And with that, Amy headed for the staircase. But instead of heading downstairs, she stopped two floors down. Once there, she pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text message.

About five minutes later, Beth and Jeremy made their way up to the dorm room as well. But before Beth opened the door, she felt her cell phone began vibrating indicating she had a text message. Once she looked at it, her eyes went wide. "Oh no!"

He gave her a look. "What? Is your roommate coming back here too?"

She shook her head. "No, they said they were going to a movie, so we should have plenty of time. That text was from our RA. I just remembered I had let someone borrow my notes for my Chemistry class that they just dropped them off down at the front desk. As much as I want to forget about them right now, I should go down and grab them before they get lost or someone tries to steal them. I have an exam in that class this week, and I really need to make sure I have those notes for it."

Jeremy grinned. "Tell you what, why don't you head inside and get comfortable, and I'll run down and grab them for you?"

Beth smiled. "Yeah? You'd do that for little ol' me? Tell you what then. If you'll do that for me, I'll show you when you get back how grateful I am..."

"I'll be back in three minutes!"

She laughed. "Don't go running and fall down the stairs. That would neither one of us any good if we had to take you to the emergency room tonight."

He laughed too. "Well, we wouldn't want that..."

"But, I'll promise you this. When you get back, the door will be unlocked and the lights will be out. I'll be on the futon waiting for you. Don't say a word and come get your big surprise..."

Jeremy's eyes went wild. "Wild horses couldn't stop me!"

And with that, he began running off towards the stairs. Once he was safely out of view, Beth headed down the back stair case and met up with Amy on the second floor.

"Did Aiden buy it?"

"I think so. Did Jeremy?"

"Oh yeah! We should be finding out in about five minutes if you're plan actually worked."

"Don't worry, it will." Amy grinned. "Excellent work though, Larry."

Beth laughed. "You too, Moe. Are Curly and Shemp ready for their parts?"

"He says they are. Hopefully, he'll give us the heads up soon that we can begin Phase 2."

About ten minutes later, both of the girls got the text message that they had been waiting on. Grinning at each other, they headed back up to their room. On the count of three, Amy swung the door open and turned on the lights that had worked all along. And while she did that, Beth brought the Polaroid camera up to her eye and began snapping pictures as fast as she could. In the confusion that immediately followed, both Jeremy and Aiden tried to adjust their eyes to the sudden bright light. And that's when they discovered something that about made them throw up themselves – they had been making out with each other!

Both began stammering in confusion. "What the..."

"You're not..."

Both turned their attention to the doorway when they heard both of the girls beginning laughing their butts off and high fiving each other.

"How about that, Beth? It actually worked! We successfully made fools out of two jackasses!"

Beth kept laughing. "I know, right? I guess we can mark off the states of South Carolina and the District of Columbia from our lists now. I think those are two good places to begin our list of stupid idiots who will have learned the hard way not to mess with us, don't you?"

Amy grinned. "Definitely, but we're still freshmen. If guys continue to be as dumb as these two, we'll easily have the whole list done by the time we graduate!"

___Across the Charles River at a Starbucks_

The movie was over, and as planned by Max and Gabby, everyone seemed to really enjoy it and couldn't stop talking about it. And since it was not that late when they got out of it, everyone decided to head out and get something hot to drink afterwards. It appeared to be a popular idea as the Starbucks those chose was absolutely packed. After waiting out a large party who seemed to be taking forever finishing their lattes, the six of them swooped in once they finally got up. And as everyone finally sat down, they began to relax and start chatting.

"Alright, that movie totally rocked, didn't it?"

"It was fine..." Cody then grinned. "Plus, Bailey's been wanting to see it for a while now. It was next on her list of movies to drag me to, so I guess its my turn to choose our next one."

Bailey gave him a look. "I don't think so. This was a group outing, so this doesn't count as my choice."

"Huh? What? But..." He sighed realizing it wasn't something worth arguing over. "Yes, Dear..."

She began laughing then. "I was just teasing you, Sweetie. Sometimes, I can't help myself."

Max laughed too. "Bailey, you have him trained so well. Where were you when I could have used you when we were kids?"

Zack just shook his head. "Sickening, isn't it?"

"Well, Maya seems to have trained you pretty good too, so I don't think you have much room to talk!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Gabby spoke up. "While the movie was great, there is actually something else Max and I need to talk to you guys about. We're kind of hoping you guys can do us a big favor."

Maya turned to her. "If we can do it, sure thing."

Zack turned to her with his eyes wide. "Babe! You always ask what the favor is before saying yes!"

Max grinned at him. "Too late! She already said yes! But I promise you its not that bad. It seems that both Gabby and I were not happy with our current living arrangements. And, as coincidentally as it sounds, we both happened to be looking at an apartment at the same complex about a week ago. Well, due to Gabby's celebrity, we were offered a great deal we couldn't turn down. So, we're going to be neighbors, and both our leases begin in mid March.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Now, as for the favor we need, we were kind of hoping you guys wouldn't mind helping us both move in one day over spring break..."

Bailey paused to think. "Well, the first weekend is no good for us as we'll be out of town. But any time during the week and we'll be there..."

Maya nodded. "We should be free too."

Zack sighed as his shoulders slumped. "But I hate moving! This is going to suck!"

Max laughed again. "Before you get too upset, you haven't let me get to the offer we're making you guys. You see, our new places will be just a few blocks south of Fenway. In exchange for helping us out, we're offering to take everyone to a game this summer and host a tailgate before walking to the park."

"Well, I guess that would be kind of cool...if Maddie and Trevor didn't actually live just right across the street from it!"

Cody shook his head. "Ignore him. As much as he's grown up in many facets, the old Zack still lives on in some small ways."

Gabby laughed. "Well, if that's not enough to seal the deal, I think I can top it."

"Oh yeah? I'm listening..."

"How does a free trip down to Rio and all access passes to the first week of the Summer Olympics sound?"

Everyone's eyes went wide upon hearing that. "Are you serious?"

She smiled. "Uh huh..." Gabby went on to explain her meeting with NBC the week before. "I made some extra demands about bringing some friends with me, and they actually agreed to it. They'll even fly us all down in an NBC private plane."

Maya shook her head and laughed. "So that's why they wanted to see you about. Why can't I have meetings like that?"

Bailey spoke up though with a concern. "Will this coincide with school starting back?"

"No worries there. We should be back the Wednesday before school starts back on Monday. And since we start earlier than everyone else, it shouldn't be a problem for anyone else."

Zack grinned. "I'm in! You know, its been a while since I've been to Rio..." He paused to think. "I wonder if I'll be able to find where I crashed my jet pack London got me for that one Christmas?"

___Apley Court_

It slowly dawned on Jeremy and Aiden that they have been the victims of well thought out prank. And that didn't sit too well with either of them as they shot up off the couch in anger. Slowly, they began walking towards the girls with scowls on their faces. "You two shouldn't have done what you just did!"

"Yeah, we're going to teach you both a lesson you'll never forget!"

And with that, Jeremy grabbed the pictures out of Beth's hand, ripped them up and stuffed them in his pocket. "You might have tricked us, but its time for us to get the treats you promised us!"

Before they got any closer though, they heard a voice from behind them. "I don't think so, fellas! Why don't you two just leave and never bother these ladies ever again?"

Aiden and Jeremy turned to see C.J. standing there, and both began laughing. "Oh yeah? Who's going to stop us? You?"

"You better know karate or some kind of martial arts, dude, because there are two of us! We're going to pound you first, and then we'll teach these other two that lesson!"

"Karate? You two are the Cobra Kai rejects..." C.J. took a deep breath to try to calm himself. "And as for it being two on one, you guys are wrong. The teams are actually pretty even. There are two of you, and I have someone here with me who would love to throw down too..."

They both snickered. "Yeah? Who?"

"Him!" And with that, C.J. whistled. "Now Rufus!"

At that exact moment, Rufus charged out of Amy's bedroom growling and began running straight for the two other guys. And upon seeing the big angry dog about ready to pounce on them, both turned and hightailed it out of the room as fast as they could. Once they were gone, Rufus stopped in mid stride before sitting down and panting.

Amy knelt down next to him and kissed him on the nose. "Thank you again for your assistance, Rufus..." And when he licked her face, she began laughing. "Okay, okay, I know I promised you a burrito too. Don't worry, you'll have it real soon."

C.J. shook his head. "I can't believe that actually worked..."

She smiled. "I told you it would! Have a little faith next time..."

Beth interrupted them. "But it didn't work completely! Yeah, we humiliated them, but they grabbed the only evidence we had of what happened!"

Amy kept smiling. "Not exactly. There was always a backup plan."

"There was? You never told me about a backup plan!"

"Because I needed your reaction to be real..." She turned to C.J. "Did you get everything?"

He nodded. "All of it..." He walked over and picked up a tiny web camera that he had hidden away earlier. "This little thing recorded everything..."

Beth was confused. "How did it do that? It was pitch black in here?"

C.J. grinned. "Easy. This little thing has a night vision lens that captured everything while it was dark. When the lights came on, it switched over to a normal lens. Right now, those two doofuses might think there is no way anyone can find out about this, but they're wrong..."

Amy laughed. "They'll never know what hit them! How soon can you piece the first clip you got and this new one and mail into to every e-mail account in the Harvard system?"

"Oh, probably about ten minutes or so. But I don't dare send it from here."

"Why not?"

"Didn't you see the Social Network? The university could easily track it back to your IP address if I did it here. No, I'll have to send it out over a wifi where they can trace it back to a dead end that can't be linked to any of us..."

"And where can you do that?"

He grinned. "There's a Starbucks down the street. Anyone in the mood for some coffee?"

The ladies both laughed once they realized what he had in mind. "Well, now that you mention it, I could go for a cappuccino. And Rufus can take a nap here while we're gone."

As the three of them we're getting ready to head out of the room, Beth turned to C.J. "Thanks again for all your help. We couldn't have pulled this off without you."

Amy nodded. "Exactly! I don't know how you do it, but you always seem to be there to pull my butt from the fire. You have know idea how much I really appreciate it. After dealing with those jerks, its nice to know there are at least some nice guys around here."

He shrugged and laughed. "I just want to stay off your list of guys to make examples of..."

Amy laughed too. "Don't worry, you won't be on it. California is a big enough state that we should easily be able to cross off somebody else."

"I hope so..." C.J. paused. "Though, I'm not sure if I'd qualify on your list for California or not..."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I don't know if it makes a difference. While I was raised there and, I was actually born in Seattle..."

___To be Continued..._

**AN: Sorry it took so long to post an update, but I had computer issues. My laptop crashed on me, and I had to take it to get it repaired. Good news is I was able to recover most of the following chapters. Bad news is I lost all edits I had made. I could have swore I saved them, but it is what it is. Oh well.**


	22. 50 Shades of Red

_Chapter 22_

_"50 Shades of Red"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

___New York City, Saturday, February 13_

The next couple of weeks passed by as January finally gave way to February. And naturally, the weather in February in New England was not the most pleasant thing in the world. Fortunately for those in Boston, on the Saturday before Valentine's Day, there was a break. While it was still bitterly cold, there wasn't supposed to be in more precipitation forecasted for the rest of the weekend. So, early that morning, a convoy of two cars left the Boston metropolitan area and began heading west on I-90 towards New York City. And several hours later, both vehicles finally pulled into the underground parking garage of a nice hotel in Greenwich Village. After going through the hassle of getting their parking stickers and squeezing their cars into two open yet undersized spaces, the duos of Zack & Maya and Cody & Bailey gathered their bags and made their way up to the front lobby to check in. And while they didn't mind having rooms on the same floor as each other, both couples inwardly sighed in relief that their rooms were on opposite ends of the hallway. Thirty minutes later, after all four of them had refreshed themselves in their respective rooms, they met up in the lobby again before heading across the street to Marcus' apartment. The plan was for everyone to meet up before heading out for a laid back lunch. When the foursome got to his door and knocked, Marcus opened it up with a big grin on his face.

"About time you guys got here!"

Zack rolled his eyes. "We would have been here sooner but we had to actually drive the speed limit or we'd have lost those two..."

Maya elbowed him. "Plus, there was no need to press our luck with the state police. You won't always get lucky enough to find one who knows you and will let you off with a warning."

Marcus shook his head and laughed. "Zack! Maya! So good to see you guys again!" Marcus turned to Cody and Bailey and paused. "Now, you two...you two sort of seem vaguely familiar to me."

This time, Cody rolled his eyes. "It hasn't been THAT long..."

He kept laughing. "Well, your wedding which was last year, so that makes it since last July. And you two did bail on us for New Year's. Anyways, its good to see you two again too. Come on in, guys. Court should just about ready..." He paused. "Though, she did say she was almost ready a half hour ago. Now that I think about it, if its taking her this long to get ready for lunch, I'm starting to worry about us making our reservations later on tonight."

Zack was about to say something when he noticed Maya was giving him a look. "Ummm...No hurries here, Man. Besides, aren't we waiting on Woody and Addison too?"

"True, but they called right before you four knocked. They had just pulled into the garage of the hotel too, and they said they'd be over shortly. Even though he's a lot better now, Woody is not big on missing a meal..." He paused again. "Speaking of the hotel, I thought everyone liked my place? Why isn't everyone staying here tonight?"

Cody gave him a look. "Seriously? Valentine's Day eve, and you'd rather have your place full of a bunch of people instead of being all alone with Courtney?"

Marcus paused again before grinning. "Well, when you put it like that..." He laughed. "So, since I haven't seen you guys since you started medical school, how are you guys doing? I assume you're both still getting all A's?"

Bailey shrugged. "We like to think so, but we're basically on a pass/fail system there. So far, we've passed everything, but we're both hoping we have some passing with honors on our transcripts right now."

He gave them a look. "Pass/fail? Where was that in high school when the rest of us could have used it? But knowing you both, not having actual grades must be driving you two nuts!"

Zack shook his head and sighed. "Oh, it is. You should hear them complain about it. Those are the only two people I know who it bother so much..."

From behind them, the five of them heard a voice. "Hey, its Valentine's Day weekend! Are we really going to spend it talking about school? Don't we get enough of that during the week?"

Bailey smiled. "Hey, Courtney. Long time, no see."

Courtney walked over and hugged her. "Darn right it has! Its good to see you two again! So, tell me - how is married life going?"

"Well, except for a couple of small bumps in the road, it couldn't be going any better. But then again, all relationships have their problems from time to time. Its how you handle them that really tells the story."

Marcus looked back and forth between the two of them. "Are we really talking small bumps or did you two get stupid again?"

Cody winced. "Well, I guess we did have one issue that could have been a big problem and spun out of control, but fortunately, we didn't let ourselves get that stupid again."

"Good. You have no idea how many times our senior year of high school I wanted to smack your heads together hoping it would knock some sense into the two of you! I remember that when I heard you two finally got back together that my first thought was it was about time!"

"Well, hopefully, this was another lesson for us to learn so that we never repeat it again."

"I sure hope so..." Marcus grinned and teased them. "Because breaking up now would mean losing half your stuff..."

Bailey laughed. "No worries about that here. Besides, we're still poor college students."

At that moment, there was another knock at the door. Figuring he knew who it was, Marcus quickly opened it up and found Woody and Addison standing there smiling at him. After the welcoming hugs were doled out, Marcus spoke up.

"Good to see you guys again! I finally have some more people here who are actually in the real world and not still hiding out in school. Some others who can feel my pain!"

Addison laughed. "Yeah, I guess that would be us. But to perfectly honest, there are some days I would love to be back in school again..."

Woody sighed. "Tell me about it. I miss only having a couple of hours a day where I was supposed to be somewhere and even that wasn't completely mandatory. Having to work eight straight hours a day really sucks..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Oh please. We may only be in class four hours some days, but we at least put in double that at home studying and preparing..."

"Yeah, but you guys are freaks. I was comparing myself to a normal college student."

Addison shook her head. "Don't pay him any attention. He gets to spend half his day talking about sports, so don't feel too sorry for him. I know of people who would gladly trade places with him. When he begins to whine, I ignore him half the time..."

Bailey smiled. "Good to see you've learned to ignore him when necessary. I do that to Cody, and it seems to be working out quite well."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, same here with Zack."

Courtney nodded her agreement too. "Same with Marcus." She smiled and playfully teased her boyfriend. "Makes him really appreciate it when I do pay attention to him."

All four of the guys looked at each other and frowned. "Wait a minute!" "Hey!" "You do what?" "Hurtful!"

"Oh, quit your whining. You know we love you guys, so deal with it. Now, I say we head down to get some lunch. I'm starved!"

___C.J.'s Place, Late that Afternoon_

Even though it was Valentine's Day weekend, C.J. was feeling more than content to just spend that Saturday at home hanging out with Rufus and watching the usual assortment of bad romantic comedies on TV that evening. And though he was well aware that the holiday was meant for those in love or at least in like or lust, he still had no desire to waver from his decision to put the opposite sex off until a later time in his life. Besides, he still felt he was enjoying a much better social life now with all the friends he had made than he ever had back at Stanford. So, he was happy to sit back, relax and do nothing before returning back to his studies the next day. But as the say goes, the gods laugh at the plans men make. It was as he was lounging on his couch watching the latest Reese Witherspoon movie with Rufus snoring away next to him that he heard his doorbell ring. And when he finally opened it up, he was a little surprised to see Amy standing there smiling at him.

"Well, well...to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Amy kept smiling. "I guess it must just be your lucky day."

"Is that so? If you'll allow me to boldly inquire, why is today my lucky day?"

She laughed. "You'll see. And to be honest, its not going to be as lucky as it was supposed to be, but I think you'll be happy to settle for little old me..."

He gave her a confused look. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

But Amy just kept teasing him. "You know, its not very gentlemanly to make a girl stand out in the cold. Are you going to invite me in or not?"

"Yeah, yeah...come on in." And once she was inside, he turned to her again. "Okay, you've caught me completely off guard here. Explain..."

She grinned. "Well, the original plan was that Beth and I were going to thank you for all of your help a couple of weeks ago by taking you out to dinner tonight. We thought you might get a kick out of being the only guy out on the town with two dates on your arms..."

C.J. shook his head and began laughing. "You're joking right? Me with two dates? Something tells me no one else with half a brain would have bought that..."

"Hey, don't sell youself short! Besides, it would have been a good opportunity to test that old adage/urban myth – you know, if one girl sees something in a guy, it causes other girls to wonder what it is exactly. And if you had two dates, other girls would definitely wonder what you had going on. We thought it might cause you to rethink your self imposed exile from the female gender."

He kept laughing. "While I have heard that one and I appreciate the thought, I think I'm doing just fine as it is with a life without the drama of dealing with the fairer sex."

"Good!"

He gave her another surprised look. "Well, don't seem too enthusiastic about it..."

Amy laughed again. "Oh, I'm not, but after that fiasco I had, I'm starting to think you may be on to something. But if you were so quick to give up on it, it would force me to rethink it myself."

"I see...I think." He paused as he thought of something. "Wait a minute! What happened to make the original plan fall apart? Where's Beth?"

Amy shook her head and shrugged. "Beth got asked out for tonight, and she actually accept the date."

That surprised him as well. "Really? I would have thought she might have taken her time getting back out there as well. You know, once bitten and twice shy and all of that."

"Yeah, one would think that, but this guy rather seems to have really impressed her."

"And just how did he do that?"

She laughed again. "Well, despite all of our hard work to remain anonymous, the guy...his name is Aaron.. figured out it was us that busted those two creeps."

C.J was once again shocked. "How? I was so careful in hiding where that came from!"

Amy smiled. "You were, but he found the proverbial loophole. You remember where you edited out them saying I was from Kansas and Beth from Kentucky?"

"Yeah..."

"Seems he's a real computer nerd like you are. He realized something was amiss and that there was something else said that wasn't heard. Turns out, he has a cousin who is deaf and can read lips really well. Aaron got him to look at it, and there you go. Once he had that nugget of information, he hacked into the school database. And it didn't take him long to find out I was the only freshman girl from Kansas and my roommate was from Kentucky."

C.J. paused before shaking his head. "I knew I should have deleted that part out entirely..."

"Don't worry about it. He's the only person who didn't know beforehand that knows now and he's not going to tell anyone." She paused. "Okay, that's not completely true as I did tell my sister and brother-in-law what happened, but I've sworn them to secrecy. Anyways, this Aaron guy actually wanted to thank us for what we did if you can believe it."

That confused him too. "Thank you? For what?"

"Well, it seems those two jerks are his roommates. He said both liked to constantly tease him and make his life a living hell. He was grateful that we had given him the ammunition to turn the tables on them and give them a taste of their own medicine. And, according to him, both of them are now the laughing stocks of their house. In fact, both have been so shamed and ostracized that they are talking about transfering out." She gave an evil grin. "Not that it would help much elsewhere as I've heard its now blown up on Youtube..."

C.J. laughed. "Well, that's what they get."

"Exactly! Plus, I've met this guy too, and he seems alright. He's a sophomore, but he's a double major in computer science and biomedical engineering. He's wants to do something with robotics and the human body."

"Oh! So he can make robotic hands like Luke Skywalker got in Empire?"

Amy gave him a look before rolling her eyes. "Sounds like you two would get along too. That's the exact same thing he said!" She shook her head. "Anyways, I figure he knows what could happen to him if he ticks her off, so I think he's pretty safe."

"That is true."

"So, like I said, you're down to just me tonight. But I still say we should go out and have some fun. I do still owe you."

He shrugged. "You know you don't owe me anything, right? I was just planning on hanging here with Rufus tonight."

Amy smiled. "I know I don't, but it'll be nice to hang out with a guy who I know isn't a total creep."

He began laughing. "Here's a tip for you - when you do decide to get back out there, guys do like to hear compliments better than they aren't a total creep."

She laughed too. "Hey, after what happened, that's the highest compliment I can give any male right now. Well, you know, at least ones that aren't related to me."

C.J. shrugged. "Fair enough. Alright, give me a chance to go change clothes, and even though I know it won't work, we'll head out on this little science experiment of yours. "

"You know, I'm really glad to hear you say that."

"Why?"

Amy grinned. "Because while were out, I was planning on buttering you up to get your expert assistance with another science experiment I have in mind..."

___A Discount Furniture Store in Boston, About the same time_

While most everyone else in the city of Boston let alone the country was celebrating Valentine's Day with their significant others, two young ladies were actually spending their afternoons getting prepared for their big moves in less than a month. And since Max and Gabby figured they could could negotiate better deals if two of them were there, they had decided to do their purchasing together. By the time it began getting dark that evening, both had been successful in finding and buying everything they thought they would need for their new apartments. When they had gotten everything, they stopped to get something warm to drink.

"I know we got a lot done today, but it seems like we did because we were pretty much the only ones in the stores today."

Max laughed. "Because we were! Did you see the salespeople in the stores everywhere practically fight with each other to see who would get a potential commission from us?"

"I did..." Gabby sighed. "I guess this is what I get for being one of the few people around without a big date for the night..."

"Hey, join the club!" She laughed. "I don't have one either unless you consider my grandmother, and I really, really don't want to do that. I think she and her friends are going out to dinner tonight together and invited me to tag along."

"At least you have that. I'm looking at heading back home and doing some studying."

Max gave her a look. "Please tell me you're joking! Studying on a Saturday night?"

She shrugged. "Why not? With my shopping done, I've got nothing else to do now."

"Unfortunately, I don't either...well, anything I really want to do anyways." Max paused to think. "But who's to say we have to stay at home on Valentine's Day just because we don't have dates?"

"The greeting card, flower and chocolate industries?"

She laughed. "Okay, maybe them, but I say screw 'em! Maybe its just me, but I happen to think we're both fairly good looking ladies with a lot to offer. We may not have dates right now, but I say we head out tonight and have some fun. Surely there's more people out there like us. Who knows? We might actually find someone out there who will appreciate us and clamor to be our valentines!"

"You really think so?"

"Sure, why not?" Max laughed again. "Besides, after a long week of school, I could stand the chance to blow off some steam!"

Gabby had to nod. "Well, that does actually sound pretty nice..."

"Let's do it then!"

She paused before nodding again. "Yaeh, let's do it! Should I pick you up in a few hours then?"

Max shook her head. "Uh uh. We either cab it or take the subway. If we have the fun like I'm hoping we will, I'm hoping neither one of us is any condition to drive once tonight is over..."

Gabby paused again before laughing. "That wouldn't take much for me. I've never been a big drinker."

"Neither have I, but that's no reason not to go out and have some fun."

"Maybe you're right. And with two of us there, we can watch each other's back in case one of us begins acting stupid..."

She grinned. "Exactly!"

Gabby nodded and grinned too. "Yeah, why not? Lets go prove Valentine's Day can be fun for single people!"

"Yeah, lets go show the world that you don't have to be in a relationship to have a memorable Valentine's Day!"

___New York City_

Later that evening, after a fun afternoon of hanging out in the city, the four couples headed out to Times Square for a romantic dinner at the famous The View restaurant which is situated on top of the New York Mariott Marquis. Its better known as the revolving restaurant seen in such films as Sleepless in Seattle. And with it being Valentine's Day weekend, it offered not only a delicious menu but spectacular views including the Empire State Building lit up with hearts on each side. But after the meal was over, the four couples all went in their separate directions as each had their own unique and different way they wanted to spend the evening. So, with a promise from everyone to meet up the next morning for brunch before heading home, everyone was off on their own.

And for Maya, Zack really surprised her and blew her away in where they headed next. And when they got back to their hotel room later on that evening, she let him know how much it meant to her.

"I can't believe you actually took me to a Knicks game tonight!"

He grinned. "Well, I know we've seen several games at the T.D. Garden, but you kept mentioning how much you missed seeing a game at Madison Square Garden. So, when the opportunity arose..."

She kissed him. "Well, thank you for remembering that. You have no idea how thrilled I am that you would actually take me to a Knick's game where they weren't playing the Celtics."

Zack laughed. "And you'll never know how hard that was for me..."

Maya laughed too. "Hey! I actually saw you rooting for the Knicks some tonight!"

"Because they were playing the Lakers! I hate the Lakers! I don't care if I should be sympathetic to them due to an Achilles injury ending Kobe's career..." He paused and smiled. "Though, I must admit that that I didn't mind having the kiss cam focused on us at all..."

"Yeah, that was a first for me...I rather enjoyed it myself."

He paused. "Unfortunately, it was a second time for me, but I keep trying to forget the first time ever happened..."

"Why? What was so bad about it?"

Zack grimaced. "Lets just say it was during our longer hair phases, and the person sitting next to me was Cody..."

Maya looked at him for a second before busting out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me! No way!"

"Unfortunately, way..."

"So, what did you two do?"

"Nothing! The people around us began booing us until we had to point out to them that we were my brothers! I may love my brother and all, but there are just some things I won't do!"

She kept laughing. "Awww, my poor baby..."

He shuddered. "I could have been scarred for life!"

She leaned in and kissed him again. "Better now?"

He let a small smile break out on his face. "Well, a little."

"Good. Either way, thank you again for tonight. I really means a lot to me that you would do that for me."

Zack smiled even wider. "Anytime, Babe."

"First, a wonderful dinner and then watching a Knicks' win in the Garden. I can't imagine anything better than that."

"So, should I cancel my final surprise of the evening for you for then?"

She gave him a surprised look. "You have more planned?"

"Of course I do! I've been told that I'm a romantic at heart. In fact..." He checked his cell phone. "...your surprise should be here any minute now."

And as if magically summoned, there was a knock at the door. Quickly, Zack opened it, stepped out into the hallway, spoke to who ever it was for a few moments, and returned back inside with his hands behind his back.

"Who was it?"

He grinned. "Like I said, your final surprise is here..."

"Well, lets see what it is!"

And when he showed her what it was, her eyes went wide in surprise. "I recognize that box! Its a cheesecake from Eileen's! I love those things!"

He kept grinning. "I know..."

"But how?"

"I called your Dad for hints on things around New York you might like, and he strongly suggested I buy one of these for you..."

Maya just smiled again. "I don't know what to do right now...kiss you again or begin to devour that delicious dessert!"

Zack laughed. "Just as long as you don't bite me, I can handle it either way. Your Dad did mention I should get out of your way once you see it..."

She grinned. "Oh, just you wait. Once this cheesecake is all gone, it will be your turn to be devoured."

"Oh really? Well, lets get to eating then!"

But she grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. "Change of plans...I decided I wanted to do that first..."

"Glad you did."

"Really, thank you for a wonderful Valentine's Day, Zack. I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

"You may have called my Dad for ideas, but no one knows me as well as you do. You figured out exactly what I would like for tonight, and you pulled it off perfectly."

"Well, I am known to be sort of a schemer..."

"Yeah, but you use your schemes for good."

Zack nodded. "I do nowadays. But I figured with how busy we've both been with school and work lately, I figured we needed one night where we could get away from everything and just have some us time."

"Yeah, we probably did. I miss when we had more time to do things like this. I guess we took it for granted how much free time we had the past couple of years."

"Probably so. But, look on the bright side. We both have less that two years of school left now. If we can make it through that, I think we'll be home free."

Maya smiled. "Yeah, I think we will."

"So, on to the cheesecake then?"

She shook her head and gave him a seductive smile. "Not right now...Its always better when it has a little time to cool off some. And I have the perfect way for us to bide our time until then..."

___In a Room at the Other End of the Hallway_

About the same time Zack and Maya were returning to their room, Cody and Bailey were coming back from their evening out on the town as well. And even once they got back to the room, they were still laughing about what they had done that night. As Cody sat back on the bed and loosened his tie, Bailey took the opportunity to sit down on his lap and help him.

"Better now?"

He smiled at her. "Much. The older I get, the less I like wearing those darn things. Fortunately, I've chosen a profession that will have me wearing scrubs with nice and loose v-necks."

"Well, you looked very handsome in your tie tonight..." She paused and laughed again. "Especially when it was flapping around as we were iceskating around Rockefeller Center. That was so much fun."

"You liked that, did you?"

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "You know I did. I just wish you would have told me that's what we were doing tonight so we could have brought our own skates and not had to rent some. I mean, I know how much hate renting shoes when we go bowling. You make sure to take disinfectant spray with us."

Cody smiled. "And if I had told you, my surprise would have been ruined."

"I think you really do like surprising me."

"Of course I do. Every time I do, you get this look on your face that I can't get enough of. I want to keep putting it on your face as often as I can."

She kissed him again. "I think I can learn to live with that. And I want to thank you for taking me up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building again too. I think its so romantic up there."

He grinned again. "I know...you've told me. I don't think I'll ever forget."

"And thank you again for giving me this bracelet up there as well. I absolutely love it."

"I'm glad..." He paused. "But truth be told, there was one I wanted to buy you even more than that one. Unfortunately, to pay for it, I would have had to sell one of my kidneys on the black market..."

Bailey laughed. "Well, I'm glad you didn't. Besides, I hope you know you don't have to buy me fancy things. As long as it comes from you, I'll love whatever it is."

"I know, but you deserve the best of the best, especially this Valentine's Day. Its our first one as husband and wife, and I wanted to make it extra special."

She smiled at him. "I got to spend it with the man I love...it couldn't be any more special than that for me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah..." She kissed him again. "Besides, I already have the best of the best in you. That's all I'll ever need."

"I hope you know I feel the exact same way about you..."

"I do..." Bailey grinned. "And that's even when I act like a nut job and go a little crazy..."

Cody laughed. "Hey, its the same way when I act like an idiot and do stupid things."

"Yeah, but you're my idiot..."

"Well, you're my nut job..." This time, he leaned in and kissed her. "And you always will be..."

"Right back at you..." She paused. "You know, after hearing that story Amy told us about those two jerks, I'm even more grateful that you are the way you are. You may have your little idiosyncracies, but I'm glad you were never like those two creeps..."

"Me too. Though, it is kind of weird that we didn't know C.J. was born in Seattle before that. Its kind of strange we both started life in the same city and took two wildly divergent paths to end up at Harvard."

"I know. But with you two and Zack at Harvard Business School, I'm starting to think there's something in the water up in the Pacific Northwest."

"Mimi would probably agree with you. Anyways, I know how lucky I am to have you. I can just be myself with you. I mean, a couple of weeks ago, Zack and I saw some guy who was on a first date. He looked as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs..."

Bailey shook her head and laughed. "You've definitely hung around my family way too much, Sweetie...you're starting to use some of their phrases."

"I know..." He laughed too. "Kind of unsettling, isn't it?"

"Nah, I think you'll be alright. Though, if you start saying 'y'all', I might get worried."

"I'll try not to. Anyways, back to what I was saying. I didn't envy that guy at all. I know exactly how you feel about me. I know I don't have to try to impress you anymore."

She teased him. "What was tonight about then?"

He grinned. "That was about romancing you!"

"Ahhh, I see. Now, does that mean that now we're back at the room, the romancing part of the evening is now over?"

"Not on your life!" He checked his watch. "In a little bit, room service will be bringing us up a bottle of champagne and some chocolate covered strawberries..."

Bailey's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Uh huh."

She leaned in and kissed him again. "Hmmm, I guess that means I have to remain presentable until the bellhop gets here then, huh?"

Cody swallowed. "Unfortunately, it does..."

"You know, in a way, its kind of too bad. I have a surprise for you too that I was planning on showing you as soon as we got back..."

He weakly answered. "You do?"

She gave him a seductive look. "Uh huh...I guess it can wait a few minutes though..."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Baseball...baseball...baseball..."

Bailey gave him a funny look. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to calm myself down or else I won't be able to get up to answer the door!"

She laughed. "Awww, my poor baby..."

"Oh please...you love knowing the effect you have on me!"

She leaned in for a more passionate kiss. "You're right...I do."

___Back in Boston_

Like she had promised and despite his protestations that she didn't have to, Amy did take C.J. out to dinner to thank him for everything. And it actually turned out to be a lot of fun as they spent a lot of time laughing at several other people who how showed off their cheapness by taken their dates to the TGI Fridays a block away from where he lived. But after they had eaten dessert, C.J. knew there was more Amy had to say, so he braced himself for that.

"I really appreciate you doing this, and I know Rufus will love the...literal doggy bag you ordered to take back for him, but I keep waiting for you to mention the further buttering up of me that you said you were going to do about assisting you with another science experiment."

She smiled. "I know, but I figured you'd me more receptive to what I had to say on a full stomach."

"Well, that mission is accomplished, so let's hear it. Something tells me I should brace myself for what's coming though."

"Its not that bad, I promise. Let me start from the beginning though. You remember how I said that our dorm supervisor's sister was really interested in how everything turned out with our little plan?"

C.J. nodded. "Yeah, I do seem to recall that now."

"Well, last week, she actually wanted to have lunch with me to talk about it. And when I finished telling her everything, she was laughing her butt off. She actually wanted to use it in a Sociology class she is teaching this summer about gender relations."

"I can see how that would be relevant."

"And, the even better and bigger news, she asked me to be her research assistant this summer which means I could take her class free of charge!"

"Congratulations then. I would take it that means you would be sticking around Boston this summer."

Amy paused. "That's the plan...assuming I can convince my parents that its a good thing and then convince Bailey and Cody to let me stay in their guest room all summer."

"I can't say anything about the former, but I doubt the latter will be any problem. I seriously doubt they'll say no to you."

"Kind of what I'm hoping too. Besides, if my parents aren't agreeable, I can always bring up the precedent that they set by allowing Bailey to spend her summers during college here in Boston with Cody. They let her do that because she had a good job that would be beneficial for her future. I can just say this an equal opportunity of a lifetime for me."

"Sounds like you have everything figure out then..." C.J. paused. "Now, lets get to the part that actually concerns me."

She laughed. "Okay, okay. Anyways, she and I were talking about how easily Beth and I were fooled by guys we had actually met in person, and she mentioned studies about how it was much worse for people who met potential dates online."

"I've read some of those myself."

"Well, that gave me a perfect idea for my freshman seminar project."

He stopped to think for a second. "The one about how men and women essentially speak two different languages?"

"Exactly! And you've heard of E-Harvard, right?"

He sighed as he thought he knew what she had in mind and began to get a sinking feeling. "The online matchmaking service just for students here?"

"That's the one! My idea is to see what kind of profiles people are drawn towards despite what they may or may not actually say..."

"Amy, I think I know where you're going with this, and..."

She cut him off. "Maybe you do, but I seriously doubt it. I just need you to create somewhere between 8-10 different profiles that describe you without any blatant lies on them. I..."

He cut her off this time. "I already told you, I'm not looking to meet anyone right now..."

"Neither am I. Like I told you, this is a science experiment. You won't actually have to meet anyone. I just want to gather data for me that shows what types of anonymous profiles people are drawn too." Amy grinned. "Besides, this could provide you valuable information to use when you are ready to get back out there..."

He sighed again. "Let me guess - no matter what I say, you're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

Amy laughed. "Nope. And besides, I really do need your help. Of the male students I know at Harvard, you're the only one I know who can do this. Others wouldn't take it seriously or I couldn't trust them or their wife or girlfriend would never let them do it in a million years."

C.J. rubbed his eyes. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Excellent! Like I said, make around ten profiles, but make them as different yet as accurate as possible. I don't want anyone to think we're trying to catfish them. Don't lead anyone on like that player at Notre Dame a few years back."

"I think I know what you mean - nerd some of them up, jock some of them up, focus on my educational background in some and leave another extremely vague..."

"Exactly! And I'll be doing the same thing you are on my end. In the end, hopefully, I'll be able to show what men and women are each looking for in an anonymous world. I'm looking for numbers of hits plus if the same person is attracted to multiple profiles, which one they seem to prefer of those."

"And how long do you want this to go on?"

"I think until spring break will give us a good month of data to go on."

He shook his head. "I can't believe I'm actually going to do this..."

She smiled. "I can. Its because you're a nice guy and a good friend."

C.J. smirked. "Yeah, we all know the stories about how they end up..."

"Don't be so negative. I mean, look at my brother-in-law. He's a nice guy, and he's happily married to my sister. He definitely didn't finish last."

"That's true I guess. So, when do you want to start this?"

Amy grinned at him again. "No time like the present!"

C.J. just shook his head again. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Some how, I just know this is not going to end well for me..."

___New York City, the next morning_

After everyone had their evenings out in the city followed by their nights in with their significant others, everyone was to meet up in the hotel's restaurant the next morning for breakfast. So, being proactive, Zack and Cody had already taken their bags down to their respective cars while Maya and Bailey gave final once overs of the rooms to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. But since checkout wasn't until noon, they all put off doing that until after they ate. And right at ten o'clock, Marcus and Courtney arrived, and the three couples decided to go ahead and get a table. As they waited for Woody and Addison, they all chatted.

Marcus grinned. "Well, I hope everyone had an enjoyable night as I did..." He paused. "But I don't really need to hear any details."

Zack laughed. "You'll get none from me!"

Cody smiled. "Nor from I. All I say is we have a very pleasant evening in the Big Apple."

Courtney just shook her head and laughed. "Glad to hear everyone had fun. Maybe we can make this an annual tradition then?"

Everyone looked around at each other and nodded that it sounded like a good idea. But before they could discuss it further, Addison ran up to their table with the biggest smile on her face dragging Woody behind her. And upon seeing how excited she was, Bailey worried she was on another sugar rush.

"Addison? Are you alright?"

She kept grinning and began speaking at a hundred miles per hour like she was known to do. "Am I alright? Of course I'm alright! Last night was the best night of my life!" She held out her hand. "Woody asked me to marry him last night!"

That caught everyone's attention, and soon, congratulations were doled out. Bailey spoke up again. "So, how did he ask you?"

"Well, we went on a late night horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park, and while we were there, Woody have me a candy ring like he gave me in high school. It was grape, so I absolutely loved it. But he had this frown on his face, and I asked him why. He said there was something wrong with the ring, and he pulled this little velvet box out of his pocket. He then smiled at me as he opened it to show me this ring and asked if I thought it was better. Well, I was so surprised, but he somehow managed to get down on his knee in the carriage and then he proposed!"

Cody smiled at his friend. "Not bad, Woodchuck...I see you changed the original plan a little bit though."

Bailey turned to look at him. "You knew he was planning on this?"

He kept smiling as he held up his hands. "It wasn't my secret to tell you, Sweetie..." He paused. "Besides, Zack knew too..."

Maya turned to Zack. "Oh really?"

Zack swallowed. "Like the Codester said, not my secret to share..."

Woody smiled. "Don't blame them. I asked them to be sounding boards for my ideas. Zack said I should really talk to Cody since he was the only one of us who has actually proposed so far." He turned to Cody. "And yeah, I did have to change the plan. I couldn't find anyplace that would put the real ring inside the candy one. So, I improvised a little."

"Either way, very well done, and again, Congratulations. Now, I hope you guys won't be too upset, but you do know we'll have to tell London about this. Something tells me our Mom will kill us if we don't. She's ready to get London off her back a little..."

"Well, I guess that'll be alright..." He paused. "Unfortunately, you guys weren't the first ones we told."

Addison just kept grinning. "Yeah, I had to call my sister and tell her I was for real engaged this time. She might only be in seventh grade right now, but she was soooo mad!"

___To be Continued..._

**AN: Through out my writings, I've had to do research on the city of Boston and become familiar with a lot of places there in the process. It was surreal today to see some of those places on every channel in less than ideal circumstances. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. The silver lining is that the nation and the world got to witness the toughness, grit and humanity of Bostonians today. While the human reaction would be to run away, many of its finest citizens risked their own lives and safety to help in any way they could. So, while this is a day of tragedy, lets remember that we as Americans once agained showed resilience and heroism in a moment of darkness.**


	23. The Sugar Daddy

_Chapter 23_

_"The Sugar Daddy"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

___Cody and Bailey's Place, Tuesday, February 23_

With Valentine's Day weekend having come and gone, everyone had to return back to their regular lives and normal routines. And for almost everyone, that meant returning back to school and the studying and homework that came with it. While some enjoyed that, others did not. But, universally, everyone did find it easier to stay inside and be studious thanks to the weather outside. As it was still late February in New England, all of Boston was dealing with the harsh winte, and due to the prognostication of a certain rodent named Phil in a small town in Pennsylvania, six more weeks of weather had been forecast. And as if to reinforce that the groundhog knew what he was talking about, another harsh winter storm was due to hit the eastern seaboard that weekend. Normally, everyone would accept that and endure on, but it did cause a problem as that Saturday, the 27th was Amy's 19th birthday. So, to make sure they got a chance to celebrate with her, Cody and Bailey thought it prudent to invite Amy and Beth over to their house for dinner on Tuesday night. But not everyone was sure why there were having a premature fete.

"I don't want you guys to think I'm ungrateful for having us over for dinner, and it was extremely delicious. But today is Tuesday, and my birthday isn't until Saturday..."

Bailey smiled at her sister. "We know, but if the reports are accurate, no one will be able to get out and about to do anything on Saturday. The meteorologist is saying the storm we're going to get could rival Nemo that hit a few years ago."

Amy frowned. "Nemo? Wasn't that a cartoon about a fish? They named a storm about a fictious clownfish? Couldn't they have found a name a little more menacing?"

"Well, I guess they could have, but that's not really important. I remember it was such a massive winter storm that essentially shut down Yale for a few days our sophomore years. It was snowing so hard on that Friday that we couldn't even see twenty feet in front of us..."

Cody nodded. "And believe it or not, we got off relatively easy. There were some places that had an inch of snow fall every ten minutes. When I called Zack back here in Boston, he said the governor had forbid motorists to be out on the road it was so bad." He paused. "Of course, he was celebrating because BU had called off classes too."

Amy gave them both incredulous looks. "Guys, its still just a snow storm. I mean, I have experienced a few of them myself while I've been here in Boston already. And even beyond that, after everything we experienced on the farm, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything. I think I'll be alright..."

Bailey shook her head and laughed. "Yeah, I used to think like that too. Our freshman year, we experienced a hurricane the weekend we moved into the dorm, and I thought that was bad enough. But when you combined the blizzard with hurricane force winds like Nemo had, I was scared to death!"

Cody smiled. "And before it hit, Bailey and Gertie had the same reaction you're having right now, Sis. Having both experienced similar ones in Boston before, Tapeworm and I knew better, so we we're prepared. Thankfully, we were already in Berkeley by then, so we didn't have to go outdoors to get to our dining hall."

Beth was a little concerned now and turned to Amy. "I don't like the sound of that at all. Being from Kentucky, if we get more than two inches of snow, the entire state shuts down. Plus, our dining hall is a good ten minute walk away from our dorm."

She laughed. "Trust me, we'll be just fine. I'm not worried about this in the least. Besides, next year, we'll be in the same position they are with having our dining hall inside of our House."

That caught Bailey's attention. "Oh yeah? already You know which house you'll be living in next year?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, we found out last week. Beth, me and our neighbors have been assigned to a four room quad over in Mather Hall. We'll each still have our own private bedrooms, but the four of us will have to share a bathroom. And, we'll have a large common room on the floor below us. It seems all of the dorm rooms over there cover two floors."

Cody frowned. "Mather Hall? I remember that one from my tour of campus. It has really...interesting architecture."

Beth laughed. "Is that a nice way of saying its ugly and made entirely of concrete?"

"Pretty much. And I remember it has a nice view of the Charles River, but its a long ways from the Yard."

"That's true, but there is a shuttle that comes by every ten minutes that will drop us off in the heart of campus."

Bailey laughed. "I remember the shuttles on Yale's campus. If you expect them to follow a strict schedule, you might be in trouble. Might want to give yourselves a little cushion of time with it.."

Amy rolled her eyes. "I think we'll be fine. Besides, we hear Mather House has a lot of house spirit and does well in intramural sports. We're looking forward to being Lions..." She paused. "Or Gorillas. The mascot seems to alternate between the two."

Cody laughed. "Really? I would have figured they would be the Beavers. That would make the most sense."

"Why would you say that?"

He gave her a look. "Really? Mather Hall...Jerry Mathers...Leave it to Beaver...the Beavers?" Upon seeing the looks the three ladies were giving him, Cody threw up his arms in defeat. "Oh, come on!"

Amy and Beth just shook their heads before turning to Bailey. "You poor thing..."

Bailey shrugged. "I know..."

Cody looked around in confusion. "What? What do you know?"

"Sweetie...I know you're getting better, but that was not one of your best ones." She turned back to her sister. "Anyways, we do have a birthday gift for you." And with that, she went to get a gift bag out of their coat closet and gave it to her. "Happy Birthday from Cody and I. We thought you might be able to use this this weekend."

Amy pulled the tissue paper out of the bag before pulling out a crimson Harvard hooded sweatshirt. "Oh...thanks guys."

Bailey grinned. "And it has a fleece lining so it should be extra warm!" She turned to Cody. "Ready?"

He nodded. "Are you?"

She nodded too and went to get her new keyboard. And as Bailey played _Happy Birthday to You_ on it, Cody brought out a cake with nineteen candles lit on it. Seeing that sight, Amy couldn't help but to smile. "Thanks, Sis...Thanks, Bro. And Bailey, kudos on playing that. I see you've been taking those lessons Cody gave you."

"I sure have. He taught me that song last weekend. Now hurry up and blow out your candles so you can make your birthday wish!"

Amy complied and blew out her candles. Cody smiled. "Well, keep your wish to yourself, and it may actually come true."

She paused. "Not with this one. In fact, you two are the only ones who can make it come true, and if I don't tell you, you can't..."

Both looked at each other in surprise before turning back to her. "Us? What can we do?"

"Yeah...you see, I was offered an amazing opportunity for this summer..." And with that, Amy explained the job offer as well as class credit she would get. "I've already spoken to Momma and Daddy, and they say if you two wouldn't mind having me crash here this summer, they're okay with it too. What do you think?"

Bailey turned to Cody. "Fine with me, but what do you think?"

He shrugged. "Okay by me." He turned to his sister-in-law and teased her. "As long as you clean up after yourself and don't mind sharing the basement bedroom and bathroom with the two furballs."

She laughed. "Consider it done!" She pulled them both into a hug. "Thanks guys!"

"Yeah, yeah. No problem.

Amy grinned. "And if you two ever want some alone time to...do some cleaning or whatever, just tell me to scram or put on my noise blocking headphones..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Don't push it..."

"Pushing has been ceased. Now, that cake looks delicious, so lets dig in!"

A couple of hours later, Beth and Amy had headed back to their dorm while Cody and Bailey were cleaning up the kitchen before heading up to bed. Cody had to laugh though.

"More power to her for wanting to go to school in the summer. I remember hearing Zack and Maya complain about that enough to know I would never want to do it myself."

"True, but it does sound like a wonderful opportunity for Amy." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you again for letting my baby sister stay with us this summer though."

He smiled. "Hey, she's my sister now too. And family is pretty important. Our doors will always be open to them when they need it."

"Precisely..." She paused. "Well, except for Zack and our couch. I know London's vision has probably been changed by now, but our sofa is still off limits to him!"

___The Offices of London Inns/Zack and Maya's Place, that Friday afternoon_

Even though he had been done with classes for the week by one o'clock that afternoon and heading home sounded really good, Zack had a moment of responsibility and decided to head in to the offices of London Inns to make an appearance and try to clear a few things off of his desk. Unfortunately for him, the stack of things in his to do box he found waiting on him was so high he thought it was Mt. Everest. Sighing to himself, he rolled up his sleeves and immersed himself into trying to make a dent in it. And a few hours later, he had been successful in getting a good deal of it done, so he decided to reward himself with a break to go get something warm to drink. But as he walked around, he noticed the rest of the office was like a ghost town. In fact, the only office that still had a light on was Moseby's. After knocking on the door first, Zack walked inside.

"Hey, Moseby...where is everyone?"

Moseby looked up in surprise. "Zack? What are you doing here? I didn't know you had come in today."

"Well, I did, so don't act so shocked. But that doesn't answer my question."

He laughed. "Seriously? Have you not looked outside lately?"

"No, believe it or not, I've been hard at work in my office."

"Well, Winter Storm Dora began to hit Boston about an hour and a half ago. It began coming down so hard, I told everyone to go ahead and call it a week. In fact, as soon as I finish signing these documents and faxing them out, I'm leaving myself." Moseby chuckled. "If I had known you were here, I would have stopped by your office and told you too."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Gee...thanks. That's information that would have been useful to me an hour ago!"

"Well, go on and get out of here then!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" He was about to leave when he paused. "Though, fifteen more minutes and I'll finish everything on my desk. A little voice in my head is telling me to go ahead and do that before I leave..." He paused again. "I can already tell that little voice and I are going to have some issues..."

Moseby began laughing again. "Wow! I never thought I'd see the day when Zack Martin voluntarily did more work when he had the green light to go home." He paused. "You've really come a long way since your days of being a hooligan, Zack."

"Well, to be fair, that was about eleven years ago. I mean, it was inevitable that I would grow up at some point."

"I had hoped, but what I see now is far more than I ever dreamed possible. And you're right. You're no longer a boy any more. You're a man. So, as such, lets hurry up and finish up and then I'll buy you a drink before we head home to our ladies."

Zack couldn't help himself. "So, you need a little bit of liquid courage before you head home to deal with Tut?" He began laughing. "I wondered how long it would take for that to happen..."

Moseby just glared at him. But, about an hour later, Zack found himself finally returning back home. And that day of all days, he was happy that his office was just down the street from the Tipton. Because the two blocks he walked were absolutely miserable with freezing cold gale force winds and snow coming down so hard he couldn't see ten feet in front of him. If he hadn't walked that same path hundreds of times before, he might have missed the front door to the hotel. But when he opened the door to the suite, he was surprised to see Maya already there curled up under a blanket on the couch.

"About time you got home. I was about to round up a dog sled to come looking for you."

Zack took off his coat and tried to shed any remaining snow from himself. "I'm actually home at a normal time. You're the one who's home early."

She smiled. "Yeah, I am. The fit&rec center closed down at 3:00. In fact, the entire university closed down then. Fortunately, I was able to catch the subway home before it really got packed."

"They actually closed down the university? I only remember them doing that back during Nemo. It figures they would wait until I switched school before they did it again."

"Quit your complaining. Besides, from what the weatherman is saying, Winter Storm Dora is going to hang around the area for a while. We may be stuck indoors all weekend."

"Not that I mind that, but Dora needs to take her little monkey and go off exploring somewhere else..." He sat down on the couch next to her. "Spring break is in two weeks, and this don't look like no spring to me!"

Maya laughed. "Tell me about it. But then again, I don't really care what the weather is like that week. I'm fully planning on doing nothing that week but sleeping in and resting up."

He sighed. "You and me both. I think its a sign that we're getting old though."

"Why would you say that? We're only twenty-two years old."

"Think about it. It'll be spring break, but instead of us going down to Florida or somewhere a lot warmer than here and going crazy for a week, we're staying here to recuperate from the stress of school."

"I'd like to think it means we're both more mature now." She grinned. "Besides, I can guarantee we'll still have more fun than those people who head south."

"You think?"

"I know. People are fooling themselves if they think its going to be eighty degrees in Panama City...or seventy degrees...or even fifty degrees. It'll still be too cold to put on a bikini."

Zack laughed. "You do have a point there. I guess they think the alcohol or random strangers will keep them warm. No thank you to either of those."

"Same here. Besides, I think we've both learned quite well that mass drinking isn't all that much fun. It just causes you to be hungover the next morning, and that sucks."

"You can say that again..." He paused. "Though, it would be fun to head down to Fort Meyers to see the Sox in spring training."

"You mean the Yankees in Tampa, right?"

He gave her a look before laughing. "Or maybe Miami to visit Dad. Its got to be warm there." He paused. "Maybe we need to plan another trip down there next winter?"

"Sounds good to me. Maybe for New Year's again? That was a lot of fun."

"Yeah, it was. I'll give Dad a call and see what he thinks. Anyways, it was probably good idea we didn't plan to go to Florida for spring break anyways." He laughed again. "Though, it would have gotten us out of moving duty..."

She laughed too. "Yeah, probably so. But I can guarantee we do have a big advantage over a lot of spring breakers down there."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Maya leaned in and kissed him. "We're both guaranteed to get lucky that week."

___Cody and Bailey's Place, later that evening_

About ten o'clock that same evening, Bailey was curled up on the couch under a fleece blanket as a warm fire crackled and radiated from the fireplace. As it was a Friday night and no school the the next morning, the plan was for her and Cody to watch a movie off Netflix. It was one they had both wanted to see a few months prior, but they were just now going to have the opportunity to do so. So, there was a large bowl of popcorn and two large mugs of steaming hot chocolate on coasters sat on the coffee table in front of her. All that was left before starting the movie was for Cody to return from his foray outside to check on how bad the storm was and try to combat it. And a few minutes later, he finally returned carrying their yard stick with him. As he begin to lose his coat and extra layers of clothing he had worn outside, she smiled up at him.

"Did you get the steps, sidewalk and area outside of the garage salted?"

He nodded as he tried to catch his breath. "I think so. But Bails, if I may, can I make on request for a certain feature on the next house we have?"

"Maybe depending on what it is. What do you have in mind, Sweetie?"

"There are no words to express how much I would love to have one of those electric systems where you can flip a switch inside and the drive, steps and path will heat up due to built in heating coils and begin melting the snow on its own."

Bailey laughed. "We'll see. But I don't really see the need as I've never minded shoveling snow before."

"Yeah, well I grew up in apartments, so I never had to before. If you want the task, fine, but if its going to be delegated to me, my vote is for the built in heaters!"

"Awww...my poor baby. How much snow have we gotten anyways?"

"Its actually rather impressive. Since it starting snowing here about two, we've gotten fourteen inches in the past eight hours."

That caught her attention. "We've already gotten over a foot?"

Cody laughed. "Oh yeah! And its still coming down hard with no end in sight. Add in the bitterly cold wind, and its flat out miserable out there. Its not fit for man or beast. In fact, I still can't feel my toes or my fingers, and I had gloves and wool socks on!"

She smiled at him. "Well, why don't you come join me over here and I'll help warm you up?"

He smiled back as he finished removing his final extra layer. "Don't have to ask me twice!"

And once he was situated under the blanket with her, he began chuckling. "Is it just me or is this kind of familiar?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, us two wrapped up in a blanket in front of a roaring fire while you try to raise my body temperature back up to normal. That does ring a bell to you, doesn't it?"

Bailey laughed again. "Well, now that you mention it, I do recall us doing this before. Though, in Virginia, we didn't have any electricity, and..."

Cody interrupted her. "And knock on wood that we don't lose ours now!"

"Good point. But, we didn't know then if we would survive the night or if we did whether we might eventually starve. We are plenty warm here now and have plenty of food in the kitchen."

He winked at her. "And here I was hoping for a repeat of that night..."

She cuddled in closer to him. "Oh, that could very well happen." She paused. "But there is one other major difference between then and now..."

"What's that?"

"Then, we were all alone..." She nodded over to the recliner next to the couch where two very contented cats were snoring away side by side.

Cody followed her nod and saw Al and Allie. "Oh yeah...the furballs."

Bailey laughed and playfully slapped his thigh. "You better be careful about calling them that. They took offense to that earlier, and I had to tell them you were just using it as a term of affection."

"Because it was. I really do appreciate them, even more after what I just saw."

"And what was that exactly?"

"C.J. having to take Rufus out so he could...you know...take care of his business."

Bailey shook her head. "Poor Rufus."

Cody laughed. "More like poor C.J.! Rufus seemed like he was having the time of his life jumping through the snow banks while C.J. was being dragged along for the ride."

"Seriously? Next time you see that, you better come find me ASAP! I'll grab my phone and take a video of it."

"Yes, Dear."

She snuggled in even closer to him. "Anyways, I guess we're looking at a weekend of being snowbound here at home. You know what that means?"

"That we'll have ample opportunity to update our study outlines for Integrated Human Physiology with this week's notes and then begin to study for its final which is less than two weeks away?"

Bailey sighed in contentment. "Exactly what I was thinking!" She paused and grinned. "Well, during the day anyways. At night, we can enjoy moments like this."

He smiled. "Sounds perfect to me. But you know, its us thinking and saying things like that that cause other people to call us weird."

"So? Who cares what anyone else thinks? As long as we do what we enjoy, I could care less what the rest of the world thinks or cares."

"I'm right there with you. Though, that does bring to mind another time when we were both on a similar wavelength like that and got an incredulous look for Tut."

She looked up at him. "After laser tag, right? She should have been happy we were trying to learn while everyone else goofed off. Besides, I really did enjoy us writing that paper together."

Cody smiled at her again. "So did I. But if I'm honest, that was actually number two on my list of things I wanted to do right then and there."

"What was number one?"

"This..." And with that, he leaned down and kissed her.

When he finally pulled back, Bailey smiled at him. "I wish you had then...I think I would have welcome that."

"Trust me, I really wanted to. But then, I was afraid your reaction might have been to slap me..."

She nodded. "I'd like to think I wouldn't have, but I was still being stubborn and stupid. Either way, while we may have learned recently that we hadn't come as far as we thought, I can guarantee that I'll never slap you if you try to kiss me in the future. Of that, you have my solemn word."

"So, if I were to try that again...?"

"Why don't you go for it and see what happens?"

Cody was about to lean in again when both heard a voice coming from across the room._ "Seriously? Get a room, you two!"_

Both were startled and turned to see Al staring back at them with what seemed like a smirk on his face. He shook his head and turned to Allie. _"You know, having to put up with that is the only downside of us living here..."_

She shrugged. _"I can easily handle that as opposed to coyotes."_

Bailey began laughing. "Oh well, lets hold this thought until later..."

Cody sighed. "If we must."

"Don't worry about it."

"I know, I just have to keep remembering that in a couple of weeks, we'll have a weekend alone without the furballs."

"I know. Though, while we may be the only two living things in our room there, we may be joined by some spirits."

"Fine with me. But ol' Lizzy will have to find something else to do when we finally get some alone time!"

___C.J. Place, Two weeks later_

After the first two weeks of March had passed, the last remnants of Winter Storm Dora had finally disappeared. And even better, the temperature actually came close to hitting the fifty degree mark that Friday before everyone would finally be free for their respective spring breaks. Unfortunately, as almost all schools of any level tend to do, the week before spring break was filled with midterms and papers being due. It was the one of the few times that everyone actually envied those in medical school as they only had one class they had to worry about that week. And as soon as their final in Integrated Human Physiology was finished about noon, Cody and Bailey hit the road for Fall River, Massachusetts. But their house would not be empty that evening as Amy and Beth would be staying there and catsit until their flight out to Louisville left on Saturday afternoon. So, that evening, while Beth was having one final date with Aaron before she left to head home, Amy had an errand to run and found herself knocking on C.J.'s door.

When he opened his door and saw who it was standing, he just shook his head and laughed. "Why is it half the time someone shows up at my door, its you?"

She smiled. "I guess because you're just that darn lucky. Unfortunately, I wish I could say this was purely a social call, but..."

He cut her off. "You're stopping by to pick up the data I've accumulated for your project, right?"

"Wow...you're good!" She paused. "Well, I was hoping you might have it done anyways. I know you've probably been busy this past week with your own school work, but I'll take whatever you have done. My prospective isn't due until the Wednesday we come back from break, but I was hoping to get some work done on it on the plane down and back."

C.J. shrugged. "Actually, I was just finishing it up, and I believe I have everything you'll need. I can give you a hard copy as well as e-mail you the file I created. Come on in."

So, she did, and followed him up to his home office. Immediately, he went to work on his keyboard sending her a copy of his work and then began printing out a copy for her before handing it to her. Amy was surprised to see how many pages had been printed out and began thumbing through it.

He continued. "As you can see, I've printed off a copy of all eight profiles I created for reference. After those, the first page of my work is a chart listing every single user who gave at least one of them a hit or sent a message as well as a sublist which profile or profiles they attempted to communicate with. I also printed out the profiles of each user who contacted me for reference as well. And before you worry, I cross referenced them all by IP addresses to make sure someone wasn't doing the same thing as us and had multiple profiles. Along with each profile, I included a copy of all communications they sent to my various profiles. Further, I created some charts and graphs showing which of my profiles were the most popular and which were not."

Amy just looked at the packet of paper in her hand and shook her head. "Okay, there's no denying it now! You really are a nerd!"

He smirked at her. "Gee...thanks."

"No, no! I'm not meaning it in a bad way. In fact, exactly the opposite! This is amazing! You have no idea how much work you just saved me!" She paused to think and began laughing. "I take that back. You just created me a ton of work now. I'm going to have to go back through all of my stuff and do the same thing you did here. If I get get that done by tomorrow morning, my proposal should pretty much write itself!"

"Oh...in that case..."

She reached out and gave him a big hug. "I know I keep saying this, but I owe you another big one! Thank you so much!"

C.J. shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It really wasn't all that much work."

"No, I'm serious here. One of these days, I'm going to find a way to pay you back for everything you've done for me this past year. I may have no use for idiots, but I definitely take care of my friends." She paused and smiled. "I have an idea! I'll help you create a real account on that sight, and we're going to find you a girl who will really appreciate you!"

He began shaking his head rapidly. "I appreciate the offer, but no thank you! The sight freaked me out! There was one girl out there who constantly hounded one of my profiles. She was basically stalking me and it gave me the heebee jeebees!"

Amy smiled. "Is that so? Which one?"

C.J. sighed. "The one where I admitted I was 18, already had a PhD and was in medical school..."

"No wonder. Probably saw you as a potential sugar daddy."

"You can say that again. I just want to try to forget all about EHarvard and everything about it. There are some really creepy people out in cyberspace. I told Cody about that one girl, and he said it kind of reminded him of a girl he used to know named Agnes. He said she was real life stalked. I don't need that in my life right now..."

"I guess not. After hearing that, I can't say I blame you for wanting to forget it exists. Besides, I mean, what kind of loser has to use the internet to find someone? Its way too easy to get burnt. Just look at that Teo football player."

"And yes, the overrated linebacker from Notre Dame..." He paused and small smile broke out. "Though, if it had to happen to anyone, I'm glad it was him. He was way over hyped all that year. There was no way he should have finished runner up for the Heisman. Thank goodness for Johnny Football that year..."

She gave him a confused look. "Who?"

"He was a quarterback at Texas A&M..." He paused and began laughing again. "Back to Teo though, it was extra sweet being at Stanford then. They're big rivals, and you should have seen some of the things people around campus were saying about the whole ordeal. People were making sighns with the picture of the quarterback at Alabama with his model girlfriend...you know, the one Brent Musberger was drooling all over and was on that stupid diving show? Anyways, next to it was just a picture of Mantei T'eo by himself. Above it, there was the caption – The SEC, Real Football, Real Girlfriends."

She gave him a funny look. "If you say so..."

C.J. decided to tease her. "Oh, that's right...you're from Kansas. You guys only know what a basketball is. You probably wouldn't know what a football was even if one hit you..."

Her eyes went wide. "Hey! I'll have you know that the Chiefs..."

He began laughing at her again. "Gotcha! I was just pulling your chain." He grinned. "Sounds like something you're going to have to get used to."

Amy rolled her eyes. "I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the butt..." She shook her head. "Anyways, thank you again for helping me out with this and for going above and beyond the call of duty. I should probably head back over to Bailey and Cody's and get to work on trying to bring my stuff up to the par of yours. Besides, you probably need to pack as you're probably heading back to California this week, right?"

"Well, that was the original plan, but it got canceled at the last minute. I got a phone call from Dr. Joel Howard last week. He's one of the best neurologists in the world and has an office right here in Boston. Dr. Howard wants me to come in on Monday to discuss the possibility of me working for him this summer."

"Oh, congratulations then on getting a job interview!"

C.J. paused before smiling again. "Actually, its not an interview. The job is mine if I want it, and they want to try to wine and dine me into accepting it. Well, except for the wine part."

She laughed. "Ahhh...must be nice to be a boy genius."

"Boy? I'll have you know that I'm 18 which means I'm a man. And with my birthday next month, I'll be nineteen then just like you! Don't forget, I'm only less than two months younger than you!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm still nineteen now and you aren't. You sound just like Cody does for those two months that he and Bailey are different ages. Don't forget, I warned you about becoming too much like them..."

He laughed. "I don't think you have to worry about that. I mean, they're off right now to spend the weekend in a house where two people were brutally hacked to death. Not my cup of tea."

Amy laughed too. "I know, right? When they dropped off a key to me earlier, Bailey was actually saying she hoped they ran into a ghost or something. I just shook my head at her."

"If they find a ghost, they're more than welcome to it. I have no desire to ever come face to face with a poltergeist."

"You and me both. I swear, I think those two keeping getting weirder and weirder each year."

"Well, I've only known them for a year, but maybe that's actually a good thing."

She gave him an incredulous look. "How so?"

"Think about it. No matter how much we or the rest of the world may find what they're doing this weekend to be extremely strange, they do have each other to share it with. In the grand scheme of things, I guess it doesn't matter how weird you are if you have something that is willing to be just as weird with you. Who knows, maybe to them, they are perfectly normal and the rest of us are the odd ones?"

Amy paused. "Well, when you put it like that..."

"If you ask me, they're the lucky ones. They don't have to put up with crap like that E-Harvard site ever again. They have each other and don't have to worry about all the pains in the butts that come along with being single and trying to find your other half. They already have each other."

"Gee, thanks. I was having fun making fun of them and now you're making me really envy them..."

C.J. laughed. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. Royally."

"Well, just be glad you're going to be gone this week. Not only do I have that meet and greet, but I now get to help Gabby and Max move this week. I knew I should have kept my big mouth shut that I was actually going to be staying in town this week after all..."

She laughed. "Have fun with that..." She paused as something dawned on her. "Wait a minute. I've been here close to a half hour, and I haven't seen Rufus yet. Where is he?"

He sighed. "He's in the bedroom taking a nap. I swear, he has such a hard life."

"At least he doesn't have to fly again this week. I bet he's psyched about that."

"Oh, he is. And unfortunately for me, I was right about him eventually getting used to snow. Now, he loves the stuff. You should have seen him dragging me snow banks during Dora. Now that royally sucked!"

___Max and Gabby's Apartment Complex, Wednesday afternoon_

By five o'clock that Wednesday afternoon, everything that Max and Gabby owned or had bought had successfully been moved into their new apartments. And once everything was physically inside the premises, everyone split into tasks more suited to their respective strengths. C.J. was assigned to setting up all computer systems, Zack to setting up all televisions and home entertainment equipment, Cody to organizing the kitchens and Bailey and Maya helping out in other areas such as setting up the bedrooms and bathrooms. By the time everything was finally done the evening, everyone was sitting around the living room in Max's apartment completely exhausted and eating pizza that the ladies had gratiously bought for everyone.

"Guys, you have no idea how much we all appreciate your help getting our places up and running. We promise you we won't forget this anytime soon."

Zack gave them both a look. "You better not! Especially this summer during baseball season and the Olympics!"

Max laughed. "We remember everything that we promised, and we intend to follow through on them." She nodded out her sliding glass doors that faced north. "Besides, look at that view. I can actually see Fenway Park from here!"

Gabby just shook her head. "I think the more important thing about this location is that we both have short walks to our respective schools now too."

"Well, yeah...that too." She paused. "So, other than helping us move, what all have you guys gotten into on your spring breaks."

Maya smiled. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And it was everything we dreamed it could be."

Zack followed up. "But that changes tomorrow. Starting at noon tomorrow, the best four days of the sporting year begin – the first weekend of the NCAA tournament!"

Max laughed again. "That's right! You guys doing anything special for it?"

"We know this little hole in the wall sports bar just down the street from the Tipton. It'll have every game on, decent and cheap food and none of the crowds of BW3s. You guys can join us if you want."

"Sounds good to me"

Gabby nodded. "To me too..." She sighed. "I just hope UCLA can finally do something in the tournament again. We haven't done jack since Wooden retired, and I'm still not sold on Steve Alford."

C.J. laughed. "Because you guys stopped paying players back in the 70's! That's why you suck now."

"Ha ha..." She turned to Cody and Bailey. "You guys in too? I'm sure by now that you two have already done any and all schoolwork for next Monday already..."

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we're in. And yes, we have done all of our work. We've already gotten caught up on our Medical Ethics outline and done our reading for our first day of Immunology, Microbiology and Pathology."

"Of course...Though, if you guys wanted to make some real money, you could sell all the outlines you two have made to next year's first year students."

Cody laughed. "No thanks. We're saving them for part one of the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) next year."

Gabby sighed. "Don't remind me. That exam will make or break where we get residencies."

Max rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Even if you somehow don't do that well, I seriously doubt a hospital is going to turn down the chance to get you. A little star power goes a long way. Just look at this place as an example."

"I know, but I wish it wasn't that way. I almost felt bad accepting my summer job this year, but my orthopedic surgeon here told me I had first hand knowledge of what all of her patients were going through. She thought it might make them feel better."

C.J. shook his head. "To quote Max...oh please! But, it does look like everyone will be in town this summer. I accepted a position with Dr. Howard yesterday. So, that should be fun..."

Zack rolled his eyes and spoke up. "Its spring break! Can we spend the week we have off from school without talking about it?"

Max laughed. "Fine. I know we're all a little sweaty and have pizza to eat, but wow about we all go out and get some drinks? Gabby and I will even by the first round of pitchers..." She paused. "Well, for those who are of age..."

Everyone looked around and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Cody spoke up too. "Lets head down to the area around the ballpark. I seem to remember a place there that had really good ice cream too. Its finally warm enough around here to eat it."

"I know exactly where you're talking about. Lets go"

As they were all getting ready to leave, Bailey turned to Gabby. "Well, you finally go out of the dorms. You think you'll like living here?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I think I'm going to like it more than I even thought I would."

"Well, I love all of your furniture, but when did you find time to go out shopping?"

Max laughed. "We went on Valentine's Day while you were all having fun. Having the stores to ourselves was one of the few perks of being single."

Zack shook his head. "Please tell me that's not all you two did that day..."

She kept laughing. "Of course not! Gabby and I went out and got a little wild. We figured we weren't the only single people in Boston, so we might get have some luck meeting people."

"And did you?"

Max smiled. "You could say that..."

___To be Continued..._

**AN: Sorry it took so long it getting a new chapter posted. It took me a while, but I finally finished correcting all the problems due to my computer crashing. **


	24. Second Impressions

_Chapter 24_

_"Second Impressions"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

___Cody and Bailey's Place, the First Monday in April_

With spring break having officially ended two weeks prior, everyone found themselves in the home stretches of their spring semesters. Well, most everyone did. While everyone else only had about five weeks of classes left, those lucky few in medical school found themselves staring at over two more months before they were given their summer releases. But that was okay with them as they had just recently begun their final new class of the semester - Immunology, Microbiology and Pathology. Replacing a recently ended class in their schedule, It would be held from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM Monday through Friday as well as 1:30 to 3:30 on Tuesday afternoons. However, the most interesting aspect of the class to Cody and Bailey was who their instructor was - none other than Professor Edward Hyden. Even though they didn't have the negative impression of him that they once had, both of them had heard some horror stories about his class from second year students. Nothing in the first couple of weeks had proven those tales to be true, but they decided to be on guard and expect anything and everything.

But on that particluar Monday evening, school was the farthest thing from everyone's minds...well most everyone's minds anyways. That night was the National Championship game for men's college basketball, and Cody and Bailey had graciously offered to host a get together for everyone to watch it. While some may have had doubts at first about them hosting it due to them being the least sports savvy, those quickly disappeared when Cody sent out an e-mail detailing all the appetizers and snack foods he was planning on making for the occasion. So, while everyone else was preoccupied watching the game, Cody was busy preparing more treats in the kitchen for them to consume. It was while he was putting another tray into the oven that he soon discovered that he had company in the form of Aaron, Beth's new male friend.

Cody smiled. "What brings you in here? I figured you'd be watching the game with everyone else."

Aaron sighed. "I tried to, but I don't think it wise for me to continuing doing so."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm originally from Indiana, and since my Hoosiers aren't playing, I probably shouldn't have a rooting interest. But Kentucky is playing, and being born into a huge Hoosier family, I was raised to hate that program in the state south of us with a passion. However, Beth is from that state as well as a huge UK fan, and since we've only been dating for a little over a month, I didn't think it would be a smart thing for me to actively be rooting against her favorite team."

Cody laughed. "I completely understand. There was once when I was around Bailey's family when the Patriots played the Chiefs. I rooted once when they did something good, and the looks I got from them shut me up the rest of the game. And with Kentucky playing Kansas, I'm willing to bet there are enough snide comments flying back and forth from each of the two roommates as it is."

Sighing again, Aaron shook his head. "You can say that again! If I didn't know how good of friends they were, I'd bea little worried. Though, I'm kind of surprised you aren't watching with your wife's family being from Kansas and all. I figure they're probably big KU fans."

He shrugged. "Oh, they are, and I'm sure they are watching with a great deal of interest. But Bailey is not that big of a college basketball fan, so its not that big of a deal. Yeah, she's rooting for Kansas because its her home state, but she won't be heartbroken if they don't win."

Aaron laughed. "I envy you in that. If Kentucky wins, and they're up by twenty right now, I'll have to suck it up and act happy about it for Beth's sake. If they choke and lose, I'll have to try to be comforting about it without trying to gloat. I guess its the perils of dating a girl from Kentucky. Being from Indiana, they warn us about it, but I can't help myself..."

"Yeah, Amy mentioned to us that there is a high level of loathing between Indiana and Kentucky. She said it wasn't as bad as between Missouri and Kansas, but it could still be pretty venomous."

"That it can, though I seriously doubt it would rise to the level of the Montagues and Capulets. But, to be on the safe side, I figure the best course of action for me tonight is to try to stay out of the way as much as possible."

"Well, welcome to the demilitarized zone then. Now, I hear you are a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering and computer science. I have a buddy who is in Yale's graduates school for computer science. I used to think I was pretty good at computers, but he blows me out of the water with what he can do."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to think I'm pretty good on them too, but I more interested in building robotics that will be compatible with the human body. The computer science degree would only be so I didn't have to rely on anyone else to program what I end up creating. I figure its worth going on the five year plan to not have to deal with that."

"Understood. So, you're essentially wanting to make Luke Skywalker's robotic arm a realistic possibility?"

"Exactly!"

"Sounds fascinating. Biotechnology as a field is booming right now. Something tells me those with degrees in it will be in a great demand and be in line to make a boatload of money."

"I hope so, thought not as in demand as your future profession. Doctors will always be needed. Speaking of that though, you have any idea what you want to choose as a specialty yet?"

Cody sighed and shook his head. "No clue yet, but we still have another preclinical year, and then our two clinical years to go. Hopefully, after those, I'll have a much better idea."

"I'm sure you will..." Aaron paused before he began hemming and hawing. "Now that I'm actually talking to you, there is something else I was hoping to discuss..."

That caught Cody's interest. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Well, its come to my attention that you know and keep in touch with Beth's dad..."

Cody smiled to himself as he was pretty sure he knew where this conversation was going. "Yeah, I do. On move in weekend, he and I were both assigned the tasks of guarding the ladies' stuff. At the time, we had no idea who each other was or that his daughter and my sister-in-law had been assigned to be roommates. Well, eventually, we discovered that fact and got to know each other as we made our way around Cambridge shopping for things the girls would need for their dorm room. And when he left to head home, he asked me to keep an eye on Beth if I wouldn't mind."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping if you met me and got to know me a little, you would have good things to tell him."

He laughed. "Well, you seem nice enough I guess, and you do want to make robotic limbs in the future. I suppose I could put in a couple of good words in on your behalf..."

Aaron sighed in relief and smiled. "I'd be grateful if you would. I really like Beth, and if I want to keep seeing her, it would be a lot easier if her father actually liked me."

Cody nodded. "I know all about that. At first, Bailey's father didn't seem to care for me at all, but we've fortunately been able to put all of that behind us. I know she's told me she wouldn't have cared if he didn't like me, but it has made family gatherings a whole lot easier."

"Kind of what I'm thinking. Beth's invited me down to meet her folks this summer. Any advice on how to handle that?"

He paused. "Pray there isn't a natural disaster..."

Aaron gave him a confused look. "Huh?"

"Nevermind. Just be yourself around them, and whatever you do, don't make up stuff to make yourself sound better. Besides, after those last two jerks those two had to deal with, I think anyone would look good in comparison."

"You can say that again. I hated those guys!" He paused and smiled. "Though, with them being shunned from campus, it has been nice having my own room for the rest of the semester. I'm glad they'll be gone next year though with Amy and Beth living in the house next door."

"What house are you in?"

Aaron grinned again. "I'm in Dunster House. Amy did happen to mention that you and Bailey were in Berkeley College at Yale, and Berkeley is Dunster's sister house."

"That's awesome!"

"And even better, next year, me and a couple of friends are scheduled to live in the room that was once shared by Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore."

Cody laughed. "Okay, that's even cooler! I think Amy said their room next year had a famous previous resident as well – Conan O'Brien." He paused to think. "Though, for some strange reason, his sidekick seems really familiar to me..."

"So, you sure you don't mind putting in a good word for me with Beth's folks?"

"Nah, I don't mind. Like I said, you seem like a nice guy. All I ask is that you respect her and don't make me change my opinion on you."

Aaron sighed in relief again. "I promise you won't have to."

"Good." Cody grabbed two sodas from the refrigerator. "Here, take one of these to Beth. No matter the score, it'll earn you some brownie points."

"Thanks, Cody." And with that, Aaron returned back to the living room. Cody went back to fixing some more snacks figuring halftime would soon be upon them. But while he was doing that, he was surprised when he felt two arms wrap around his waist.

"I overheard your conversation you had with Aaron. That was really sweet of you."

He turned to find his wife smiling at him. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"Thanks, I try. So, how's the game going?"

"Pretty good...if you're a fan of Wildcats..." Bailey paused and laughed. "Though, someone should tell them though that the real wildcat, felis silvestris, isn't native to the western hemisphere, and their mascot is really a bobcat, lynx rufus..."

Cody laughed. "True, but then someone would have to tell the fine people in Lawrence, Kansas that there is and has never been a species of bird known as a jayhawk, especially one that wears shoes with buckles on it."

She gave him a look. "You and I both know where that term came from."

"Oh, I do. From spending time with my brothers-in-law, I know more about that program than I ever cared to know."

Bailey smiled. "One of the perils of marrying into a family from Kansas."

He smiled back. "Now you tell me...Who is the preferred rooting interest in there anyways?"

"Pretty split actually. Zack is rooting for Kentucky because he wants there point guard to be drafted by the Celtics. Of course, Albie and Allie are rooting for Kentucky..." Upon seeing the look Cody was giving her, she shrugged. "Something about keeping it in the feline fraternity I think. From what I hear though, Amy and Beth have a pretty big bet riding on this game."

"I hope they put in writing!"

She laughed. "I think that's something only we do now. Though, it would have been fun if you would have accepted the bet I offered to you on the game."

Cody gave her another look. "You were serious about that?"

"Of course I was..." She began laughing. "Just kidding! I knew there was no way you'd ever agree to a bet like that. There was no way you would ever agree to the terms I suggested. I think you'd be too scared to..."

He surprised her with his response. "Don't be so sure about that! I think I would agree to it, but not on something like a basketball game where I would have absolutely no control over the outcome..." He paused. "Tell you what - the next time a situation arises where we both would have final say on how we do, you're on!"

Bailey gave him a completely surprised look. "Are you serious? I was just kidding around with you when I suggested it, Sweetie."

He grinned. "Uh huh...you're backtracking. Looks like you're the one who is scared now."

She gave him a defiant look and held out her hand. "Oh, I'm not scared! Tell you what - when we find something that we can agree on, we'll write up the contract and it'll be on like Donkey Kong!"

___Boston University Fit&Rec Center, Five Weeks Later_

While it was late that Friday afternoon, and Maya normally would have been at her post for several hours by then, that day in early May was a little different. Instead of being at her desk waiting for her next appointment to arrive, she found herself running across campus as fast as she could trying to get to the fit&rec center as quickly as possible. And when she finally got there, she immediately headed to the pool area and her office only to find Max already there sitting at her desk with her feet propped up on it with a big smile on her face.

"You're late!"

Maya checked her cell phone to check the time as she tried to catch her breath. "No...I'm...not! You're...early!" She paused to take a deep breath. "Your appointment isn't for another three minutes!"

"Uh huh...that's what they all say!" Max began laughing. "So, how was your last final anyways?"

She collapsed down into one of the chairs across from her desk and exhaled. "Finally over! I know they usually give us three hours to take a final, but this was the first time that I've ever needed every single minute. I mean, it wasn't that difficult, but there was just a lot of stuff to cover." She paused before smiling though. "But, it was my last one of the semester, so I'm now done!"

"Until summer school starts anyways, right?"

"Yeah...thanks for reminding me. But, this time next year, I'll only have one final summer class to take, and its another internship class where I'll get credit for working here. This time next year, I'll only have my final internship class to take before I graduate next December."

Max rolled her eyes. "Now its my turn to thank you for rubbing that in. I know I finished yesterday, but I've only got a semester under my belt now. I still have a few more years to go...even with summer school classes!"

Maya laughed. "It gets easier as you go along. You now have a semester of being back in school, so you should be back in the swing of things from now on."

"I sure hope so. I'm just happy to be done for a few weeks. Speaking of being done, when is Zack's last final?"

She checked her phone again. "He should be getting out of it in a couple of hours. I don't think he's slept more than five hours a night the past couple of nights while he studied for it."

Max grinned. "So, what you're saying is that you two won't be in the mood to hit the town and celebrating tonight, huh?"

She paused and grinned. "That depends. Will we be meating your new...friend?"

Max sighed. "No, not yet. No offense to you guys, but I think I want to wait a little while longer before I expose them to you guys..."

She laughed again. "Understood. Anyways, I doubt we'd be up for it anyways. I think we'll be lucky if we're both still awake by ten o'clock. It could be worse though. Those guys in medical school still have three more weeks of classes to go."

"I know. When I got home last night, I ran into Gabby out in the hallway. I guess she could tell by the smile on my face and the spring in my step that I was done. She just shook her head and rolled her eyes at me."

"Speaking of that, how are things going over at your new place? You like it over there?"

Max smiled. "I love it! I can watch TV past ten o'clock without my Grandma telling me to turn it down. And I can eat whatever I want now without getting a lecture about whether or not its healthy or not."

"But you're having to cook for yourself now though."

"I know, but frozen pizzas are easy to cook."

Maya just shook her head. "You sound like Zack did before I made him start eating healthier. Well, if we're going to keep you in shape while we rehab your knee, we better get to work then."

"I'm in great shape!" Max laughed. "I've always had a high metabolism."

"And you were always dancing to help work off whatever you did eat. You might want to watch what you're eating until we get your knee back to normal."

"Don't tell me you're putting me on a diet too!"

She laughed. "Nothing bad. You can ask Zack about the one I put him out. He complained a little bit at first, but he eventually got used to it. Besides, you know him, he wouldn't have stood for it if it had been too bad."

"True I guess."

"And it could be worse. I could send you over to train with Bailey. She could have you ready to run the marathon in about a year."

"No thanks! I think she's nuts for wanting to do that! She even asked me if I wanted to run it with her..."

"She asked me too. I politely declined. But, we do need to get to work, so lets get moving!"

So, they did. And about an hour later, Max was changing in the locker room while Maya was finishing up some paperwork. Fortunately, Max's appointment was the only one she had had that afternoon, so she knew she would be done rather quickly and be able to head home. Just as she was finishing up, Max came out with her bag over her shoulder.

"Okay, I'm heading home. I had energy before I got here, but I need a nap now."

Maya smiled. "I know the feeling. Once I drop off your file, I'm heading home to do the exact same thing."

"Have fun then, and tell Zack I wish him belated luck on his final today."

"Will do. See you later, Max."

Maya went to change herself out of her aquatard, and by the time she was in her street clothes and about to grab Max's file to turn in, there was a knock at her office door. Looking up though, the smile she had on her face quickly disappeared.

"Will? What are you doing here?"

_Harvard Medical School_

That same Friday afternoon, Cody and Bailey had hung around the medical school longer than usual. Their last class of the day had ended at 12:30, and they had gone out to lunch afterwards. But instead of heading home per their norm, they had returned back to the medical school and holed themselves up in one of the smaller study rooms. Their work that afternoon was all business as they completed adding their notes from the previous week to both of their study outlines for Immunology, Microbiology & Pathology as well as Medical Ethics & Professionalism. It was getting late that afternoon when they finally finished up everything they needed to do, and both sat back for a minute to catch their breaths.

"I sure am glad we have that already done with..."

Bailey nodded. "I know. This way, we won't feel like we are falling behind when we help Amy and Beth move their stuff out of their dorm room tomorrow."

"At least this time, I won't have to sit outside and guard everything. And Arwin has already said his van will be parked in the Tipton garage in the morning. We just have to head over and pick it up."

"Good..." She paused. "Are you really sure you don't mind having Amy stay with us this summer?"

Cody smiled. "I'm sure. Besides, it won't be the first time we've had a roommate for over the summer. And with the cats around, its not like we live alone as it is anyways."

"That's true. I really think this will be a good experience for her this summer."

"Yeah, it will. And its not like we'll see her that much anyways. We'll all be at work during the day, so at most, we'll see her a few hours every evening. We'll probably be around her more the weekends we head back to Kettlecorn than we will normally."

She smiled. "I still can't believe that Sophie and Grant are planning a wedding for this summer. I can't imagine us trying to pull off our wedding in only six months."

He laughed. "Tell me about it though I do have to give them credit for picking the day they did. I mean, I thought our anniversary would be pretty easy to remember with it being 7/11. But theirs is going to be really easy to remember!"

"I know. June 25th. Exactly six months from Christmas anyway you look at it." Bailey paused and began laughing too. "Though, I can totally understand why. Sophie always hated having a January birthday because she thought it and Christmas were too close together. Now, her anniversary is evenly spaced out."

Cody paused. "Do you mind that our anniversary is only about two weeks from your birthday?"

She smiled. "Nope. Cause last year, I got the best birthday present I ever got a couple of weeks early. And then about a week after, we got to go on our honeymoon. Best birthday ever!"

Cody laughed. "I guess that means I'm going to have to start saving up all year for July as both of those holidays will definitely be a hit to my wallet."

Bailey gave him a look. "Cody! I thought I made it clear on Valentine's Day that I don't need expensive things."

"Oh, come on. You know me. Bails, you deserve the best, and I'm going to do my best to give it to you."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "And I've repeatedly told you that I've got that already. Speaking of weddings though, Sophie's isn't the only June wedding we have on our calendars. Your Mom and Arwin are getting married on June 11th."

Cody shook his head and sighed. "I know...I think they copied off us in getting married on the 11th."

"Maybe so, but that's going to be a busy week for us. The Thursday two weeks before is our final in Medical Ethics & Professionalism. The next day, we have our final in Immunology, Microbiology & Pathology. The next Monday and Tuesday, the ones of the week of their wedding, we have our Year I Integration Exercise with our Self Reflections due by 9:00 AM Wednesday morning."

"I know. And then we'll begin work at the Tipton Clinic the Monday after their wedding while they're gone on their honeymoon." He sighed. "No rest for the weary, huh?"

She smiled. "I wouldn't say that. I mean, we are going to Rio in early August. I think that should be the motivation we need to get through everything."

He smiled back. "Very true. And this time while were in Brazil and I tell you that you look hot and be able to tell you its because you're gorgeous."

Bailey laughed. "I appreciate that, but it'll probably be because I'm sweating so much as we run from venue to venue. Sweetie, I know it will be a vacation for us, but this will be our first Olympics. I want to see everything that we can."

"So do I. And I definitely want to make sure we take the time to see some of the wrestling events as it will be the last time they'll be part of the games."

"I know." She shook her head in disgust. "What the feathers were they thinking dropping it as an Olympic sport? It was one of the original games back in ancient Greece!"

"Idiots...And yet they kept rhythmic gymnastics because its one sport some Eastern European countries are actually good at..."

Bailey teased him. "As I recall, I remember you watching that rather intently four years ago."

"Well, yeah, but it deserves to go before wrestling does!"

She laughed. "I'm just teasing you. And for the record, I completely agree with you. Though, I'd get rid of golf and bring back baseball and softball too."

"Agreed." He smiled. "Speaking of agreeing, how about we choose something to do tonight? You know, our last night before we have another roommate..."

"How about dinner and a movie?" Bailey gave him a smile. "And then afterwards, I'm thinking we need to soothe our muscles in preparation for tomorrow. Maybe a dip in the hot tub?"

"Sold! Lets get out of here!"

"Well, why don't you head on out and buy us tickets to a movie. It is your turn to choose after all."

"Why not come with me and make sure I don't pick something you will hate?"

"Because I have an appointment at student health in a little while..."

That confused Cody. "Student health? But why..." He paused as it dawned on him. "Birth control shot time again?"

Bailey got up and kissed his cheek. "You got it. I'll see you home in about an hour, Sweetie."

"Okay. Leave your backpack, and I'll take it with me."

"Good idea. And start thinking about what sounds good for dinner too."

And with that, Bailey headed out. While she did that, Cody began collecting up all of their things in preparation for heading out. Once he was done, he slung a backpack over each shoulder, and began walking towards the exit of the building closest to the movie theater near Fenway. But before he could leave the building, he heard his name being called.

"Mr. Martin!"

Turning around, he saw Professor Hyden running up to him. "Professor Hyden..."

"I'm glad I caught you! After having the chance of see your performance in my class up close, I've been meaning to pull you aside and talk to you for a couple of weeks now."

Cody frowned as he suddenly remembered the horror stories. "Is everything alright? I thought I was doing pretty well in your class so far..."

Professor Hyden smiled. "Oh, that you are. You've actually by far exceeded the expectations I had for you, and I had set them pretty high in the first place. In fact, from what I've seen so far, you're a natural with a microscope and have a knack of seeing stuff on slides that most wish they had."

That caught him off guard and confused him a little bit. "Well, I've always enjoyed using one. I can still remember the first one I got when I was about four years old."

"Kind of what I figured. And that's reason why I wanted to speak with you. Have you ever considered using a microscope and doing research as your career instead of treating patients?"

If Cody was confused before, he was really confused by that. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Professor Hyden laughed. "Come into my office and let me explain..."

___A Sports Bar/Restaurant near Harvard Yard_

Almost immediately after they got out of their last final of the semester, Zack and Amanda made a beeline across the Charles River to one of the local watering holes near the heart of Harvard's Campus. Unfortunately for them, there was nothing like that near the Harvard Business School. And after the pure torture they had just been through, both needed a stiff drink as soon as possible. By the looks of the crowd inside of the establishment, getting a drink appeared to be a very common and popular idea. Fighting through the throngs of people, the hovered around a table that was paying their bill and pounced on it when the people got up. Fortunately, their waitress was quick in bringing them a cold beverage.

"Okay, I'm glad I have the whole summer off without having to think about school!"

Zack lifted his drink. "You can say that again! And to think, I was actually looking forward to school starting back after having worked for several weeks over Christmas break. After the last week and a half of finals, I'm actually looking forward to heading back to work on Monday!"

Amanda laughed. "You and me both!" She took a drink. "I'm looking forward to a summer where all I have to worry about is planning my wedding that won't take place until next summer!"

"Yeah, you have fun with that. After the horror stories I've heard, I'm glad I was out of the country when Cody and Bailey were planning theirs. But, look on the bright side though, you won't have London Tipton trying to take yours over."

"No, but my sister Kathy is getting married this summer, and my Dad actually had the gumption to suggest that we turn hers into a double wedding..." She shook her head. "Just to try to save some money..."

He laughed. "Is he really that cheap?"

"Oh yeah! But neither Kathy nor I had to say anything to him. The looks both of us gave him were enough for him to realize that was never going to happen."

"That's good I guess. I..." But before he could say anything, he noticed two younger ladies standing by their table smiling at them.

"Can we help you?"

"This place appears to be packed. Would you two mind us joining you at your table?"

Zack shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He turned to Amanda. "This is Amy and her roommate, Beth. Amy is Bailey's youngest sister." He turned back to Amy and Beth. "Ladies, this is my friend, Amanda. We just got out of our Finance II final about thirty minutes ago."

As they took their seats, Amy laughed. "Same here for us except it was our Ethical Reasoning and Human Rights final. I'm sure yours was rougher, but ours wasn't a walk in the park."

Amanda spoke up. "You must be the sister who just finished up her first year at Harvard. Well, props for getting your first year under your belts."

"Thanks. To be honest, it does feel pretty good. And props to you two for finishing your first year of grad school."

Zack laughed. "And yes, our final was rough. Hence why we're here having a little something to ease the beating we just took. I'm pretty sure we both just got violated..."

Beth laughed too. "Must be nice. We both still have two years before we salve our wounds...legally."

"Trust me, once you do turn 21, its not that big a deal..."

Amanda gave him a look. "Uh huh. I seem to remember Jake and I having to practically carry you and Maya home the night you two celebrated yours."

"Yeah, yeah..." He decided to change the subject. "So, Amy, I hear you're actually moving in with Broseph and Sisterella this summer. Good luck with that!"

Amy frowned. "You make it sound like a bad thing?"

He laughed. "Trust me, I had to live with them the summers after our freshman, sophomore and senior years up until their wedding, and it could be torture at times. Fortunately, I was gone most of the summer after our junior years, but Maya had to live with them that summer." He paused. "Though, she says its wasn't that bad and she actually enjoyed it..."

Amy shrugged. "I don't think it will be bad either. Besides, I know that I'll eat well."

"Oh, that you will. But its the other times when you feel like turning on a hose on them that's worse. Unfortunately for me, my bedroom shared a common wall with theirs."

She laughed. "Well, I don't think I'll have that problem. My bedroom will be on the ground floor, and theirs will be on the the third. That gives me a whole floor of buffer."

Amanda laughed as she elbowed Zack. "She has you there."

"Well...maybe, but they'll expect you to clean and help out with the furballs."

Beth spoke up. "I thought you liked their cats. You had them both in your lap during the second half of the championship game. And if I remember correctly, you spent the entire time scratching their ears as they slept."

Amanda busted out laughing while Zack sighed realizing he had been busted. "Okay, okay...they're not so bad...for cats. Plus, Kentucky's point guard played better while I did that. I wasn't about to mess with that..."

Amy just smiled and shook her head. "Anyways, they still have school left for the next several weeks. I probably won't even seem them much the next three weeks while they still have to study."

"That's true. When do you guys have to be out of your dorms anyways?"

"Sunday by noon. But we're moving everything over to their garage tomorrow afternoon. That gives my girl Beth here time to have one last date in Boston with her boyfriend before she flies out on Sunday afternoon."

That caught Amanda's attention. "Good for you then in finding a guy already." She turned to Amy. "What about you? You have a special guy in your life too?"

Amy shook her head. "Nope. Not yet anyways."

Beth began laughing. "Don't listen to her. She has one, but she claims all they are is just friends."

"Is that so?"

"I think so anyways. I mean, she did spend Valentine's Day with him after all..."

Amy rolled her eyes. "C.J. is just my friend!"

"Who is C.J.?"

Zack turned to Amanda. "He's the even bigger brain boy than Cody. I told you about him. He's the kid who started medical school at 18 and already had a doctorate in neurobiology from Stanford."

"Oh yeah! I remember you mentioning him."

"And for another brain boy, he's actually a pretty cool guy."

Amanda smiled and turned to Amy. "Well, from the sound of it, you could do a lot worse."

She sighed and shook her head. "But we're just friends! I mean, look at you two. Aren't you two living proof that a guy and a girl can just be friends?"

Zack smirked as he elbowed Amanda. "She has you there..."

"Fine. None of our business anyways." She yawned. "Besides, after today, I'm exhausted, and I think I'm going to head on home and sleep for twenty-four hours."

He could only yawn and nod his agreement. "That actually sounds like a plan to me." He turned to the younger ladies. "The table is all yours. Beth, have fun back home celebrating your national title, and Amy, I'll see you around this summer I'm sure."

And with that, the two MBA students left leaving the freshmen by themselves.

"I agree with them that I'm tired, but if I don't get some sustenance right now, I won't have the energy to pack up my stuff tonight."

Amy nodded. "Same here. Lets flag down the waitress and order."

"I need to run to the ladies' room. When she comes over, would you order me the club sandwich, fries and a diet coke?"

"Sure thing..."

And almost immediately after Beth got up, the waitress came by. With their orders already in, Amy pulled her laptop out of her bag and logged into the restaurant's free wifi service. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn't notice Beth return to the table a few minutes later. And seeing her roommate so enthralled with what she was looking at, she walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder. What she saw shocked her.

"Amy!"

Immediately upon hearing her name, Amy slammed her laptop shut. "What?"

"You were on the E-Harvard site again!"

___Boston University Fit&Rec Center _

Almost immediately after she saw who had just showed up at her office, Maya slumped down into her chair and sighed. It certainly looked like her hopes of heading home and vegging on the couch were going to have to be put on hold for a little while. Ever since Roger had showed up at her office back before Valentine's Day, she knew this moment would eventually come. However, as more time had passed, she had begun to think that she was going to luck out and it would never happen. But seeing him standing there in the doorway smiling at her, she knew her luck had just ran out. So, she asked again.

"Will, what are you doing here?"

He kept smiling. "Can't a guy just stop by and say hello to an old friend?"

She sighed. "Well, I was pretty sure that after the last time we talked that I had made it perfectly clear that we were no longer friends and that I had no desire to ever talk to you again. Was I not clear enough about that?"

Will began laughing as he sat down in the chair in front of her desk. "At the time, you were. But me thinks some things have occurred since then that might have caused you to change your mind..."

"Such as?"

"Oh please! I still have some friends back in New York who keep me updated on the goings on people we know. Seems that Roger got the Valentine's Day gift he least wanted – divorce papers. The story I heard is that while he was in Boston for business, he tried to sniff around a girl he once dated in high school. Unfortunately for him, she deduced that he was still married by a ring shaped tan line and decided to call his wife as soon she kicked him out of her office."

She sighed. "What's your point?"

"Come on, Maya! I know that was you that did that!"

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I did. He was a jerk. So what?"

Will just shook his head and smiled. "So what? What it means is that I was right about him all along! So, any time now, you can go ahead and say thank you."

Maya just looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I refuse to thank you for sticking your nose into my business when I never asked you to..."

That caught him off guard as he was sure she'd be groveling by then. "Wait a minute..."

She cut him off though. "You must really have a low opinion of me if you don't think I wouldn't have eventually figured out that Roger was a creep on my own. Here's a newsflash – I'm not an idiot. Something else would have happened that would have tipped me off. When, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it would have pretty soon. You see, Roger is an idiot. He thinks he's a lot more clever than he really is and would have gotten busted eventually."

"But I'm the one that helped you discover that!"

"Maybe so, but at the time, you didn't know he was a creep either. You were just trying to find a way to cause problems. And I haven't forgotten how you tried to cause problems for Zack and me. Seriously, Will...do you get off on trying to make people miserable?"

He just gave her a look. "Of course not! I've told you all of this before. I care about you and don't want to see you get hurt!"

"Again, I never asked you to do any of that."

"You didn't have to!"

Maya sighed again. "Okay, answer me this. What will it take for you to butt out of my life from here on and leave me alone?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm serious. I want you to forget I even exist. I mean, I've tried to forget you do, but you showing up here at my office this afternoon kind of made that impossible. Now, tell me. What will it take for you to permanently go away?"

Will just gave her a look for a few moments. "Hasn't everything I've done for you meant anything to you?"

"Not really. Call it a stab in the dark, but I'm almost positive that you had your friends back in New York keep an eye on Roger to see what he was like nowadays. Once you found out he was still a jerk, you wanted to make sure I found out about that. Now, if he had been a nice and decent guy, you wouldn't have bothered to leave him that note about where I was nowadays. Tell me I'm wrong."

He just sat there and looked at her in awe that she had figured that all out. Maya continued though. "Now, I'm going to ask you again. What will it take to get you to leave me alone from now on?"

"Maya...I can't do that. I love you!"

She sighed again. "I was hoping we could do this the easy way. I'm afraid you're going to make me do things the hard way."

That confused him. "What are you talking about?"

She began laughing. "Well, by now, you're well aware that I'm not afraid to cause some havoc in the lives of those who try to cause havoc in mine. I think ol' Roger can attest to that."

"I don't understand..."

"Think about it this way, Will. What would happen to you if I filed a restraining order against you?"

His eyes went wide. "You wouldn't!"

"I would if that's what you force me to do. You see, I have another friend in law school down at NYU. Its not number one like Harvard is, but its top five. But, she did happen to mention some things to me that I found very interesting. You're planning on heading back to New York to practice, right?"

"Well, yeah, but what does that..."

Maya cut him off. "I was getting to that. When you apply to the New York bar, you give them the right to run a background check on you to make sure you are of high enough character." She began laughing. "Ironic isn't it that they want all future lawyers to have character with the current reputation that profession has. Anyways, I'm sure they would easily turn up a restraining order against you. Now, I'm sure they would ask you some questions about it and why it happened. You might be able to talk your way out of it, but then again, you might not..."

Will gave her a horrific look. "You would try to ruin my career?"

"Why not? You keep trying to ruin my life." She smiled. "And I haven't gotten to the cherry on top yet. My Dad is an agent, but he is still a licensed attorney in New York. Do you know how many friends he has from law school that are now partners in several prominent firms there? One call from him, and...well..."

"This doesn't sound like the Maya I know at all!"

She raised her hands in celebration. "Hallelujah! The boy finally sees the light! I'm not the same Maya you used to know. And you aren't the same Will I thought I knew. But, since I still consider myself a good person, I'll give you the choice one last time. Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way? But make no mistake, I'm tired of you trying to interfere in my life. I'll have no qualms about bringing you down if you force me to. And I'm not above filing an honor code violation allegation against you either. I just want you to go away..."

Will just stared at her for a few minutes before standing up. "Fine. If that's the way you want it, then so be it. Have a nice life..." And with that, he turned and walked out of her office.

Maya just sat there in her chair and shook her head. "That was easy..." She paused and groaned. "Why didn't I think of this months ago?"

___Harvard Medical School, Professor Hyden's Office_

Still confused, Cody had followed Professor Hyden back to his office, and once inside, his teacher closed the door behind them. After that, he took a seat in his chair behind his desk and motioned for Cody to take the seat across from him. Cody still wasn't sure what Professor Hyden was talking about earlier, and was wanting him to begin explaining. But when the good professor reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle with a large wild turkey on it along two small shot glasses, he got the sudden feeling this was about to be an interesting conversation.

After Edward Hyden poured two drinks, he pushed one towards Cody. "Hear, drink this first. You might need it."

Upon hearing that, Cody figured what the hell and drank it down. Immediately, he knew he and bourbon would never be friends as he felt like his stomach was now on fire. Seeing the expression on his face, Professor Hyden began laughing. "I take it you're not a fan of the kicking chicken. Its an acquired taste I know. Anyways, I'm guessing I should get back to the reason I wanted to talk to you."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, you mentioned something about doing research for a living..."

"Precisely. I'm not sure if you're aware of it or not, but Harvard and MIT have a joint degree program where you could get your MD here from Harvard and a PhD from MIT. Well, based on what I've seen from you in my class so far, I think you would be a prime candidate for that program, and I think you could flourish in either the field of virology or immunology. Like I said, I think you have a real gift for research."

He just sat there in shock upon hearing that, and it took a few moments for him to organize his thoughts. "I'm aware of the program, but I thought you had to apply before you began medical school. I'm about to finish my first year."

"Ordinarily, you would, but the administrator of the program constantly asks me to keep an eye open for students I think would be perfect for the program. Again, I think you do, so here we are. What do you think?"

Cody just shook his head in disbelief. "I'm truly honored that you would think of me, but I don't know what to tell you. I would have to think about it."

Professor Hyden smiled. "What you mean is that you would have to tell your wife about this and see what she has to say..."

"Well, yeah...definitely."

"Trust me, from one married man to another, that's a very smart idea. But do you really think she would be against it?"

"I don't know. Ordinarily, I think she'd support me in whatever I chose to do. But this would require me to be in school a lot longer that originally planned. Personally, I wouldn't mind it, but I know Bailey wanted us to think about having kids once we were out of medical school."

Professor Hyden began laughing again. "Uh huh. Mr. Martin, I can tell you with 100% certainty that's not going to happen. For the first couple of years that she will be out, she'll be a resident. She will barely have the time and energy to eat and sleep let alone anything else."

Cody nodded. "That may be true, but she'll be done with that in a couple of years. A PhD could take me up to five years..."

"It could, but something tells me it wouldn't in your case. I think you're capable of finishing yours in as little as two years as well. I mean, think about it. Your wife will be working about sixty hours a week during her residency. If you do the same thing, I think it would take you three years at most."

"Really?"

"Really. And in reality, its not that big of a deal if you don't. I know right now that you're on scholarship here at Harvard Medical School, but once you're done with it, you can actually get paid to finish your PhD."

Once again, Cody was caught off guard. "Huh?"

Professor Hyden began laughing. "Oh yeah! There are fellowships that will cover your tuition, medical insurance as well as a living stipend." He leaned in closer. "And these stipends are usually significantly higher than what a resident makes their first two years out of medical school!"

"Seriously?"

"Dead serious. It seems a few years ago that a couple of local billionaires got into a big competition about being educational benefactors and tried to one up each other. One of them funded scholarships to Yale for a couple of kids..." He paused. "That was about the time you started there. You might have actually met them."

Cody held back a laugh. "There's a chance I guess."

"Anyways, once his rival found out it, he began trying to out do him. Well, other local persons of wealth didn't want to be thought of as less philanthropic, so they began doing the same thing. The whole thing began to snowball as huge sums of money were being donated. The area universities weren't about to say no, so here we are."

"I can definitely see that."

"Now, the only other thing is that you would have to take a course this summer called Molecular Biology of Human Disease. It would span six weeks from June 20th through July 29th, and it would be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM."

"I guess I could do that. I would need to run it by the Tipton Clinic that I would only be able to work those afternoons and all days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe some Saturdays to get my forty hours a week in."

Professor Hyden began laughing again. "Something tells me they won't mind at all as I believe Tipton is one of the men who donated a bunch of money. In fact, they might send you to work down in their labs, and that would be experience that no one else in the program would have. It could help you come up with a dissertation idea easier than everyone else."

"You're probably right about that..."

"So, have I answered any potential worries you might have?"

Cody paused to think. "Assuming Bailey is on board, when would I have to apply?"

He grinned again. "Sounds like you're already on board yourself then?"

"To be truthful, yeah, I think I am. I've been waiting for something in medical school that strikes my fancy as something I wanted to choose as a concentration, and this sounds exactly like what I was looking for."

"Glad to hear that. Well, let my make a phone call to my buddy and see what it has to say. And another thing you might find interesting, this guy was my other roommate in college." Professor Hyden began laughing again. "He hated Rosenberg's guts even worse than I did. And he already knows how you helped to make a fool out of him. My guess is you should have no problems."

A few minutes later, he got off the phone and turned to Cody. "Good news. Professor Garrison would love to meet with you over brunch Sunday morning. If he likes you as much as I think he will, the actual application will be a mere formality."

"Good." He paused. "Well, almost..."

"Don't worry, he wants you to bring your wife with you."

"Even better...Now, I just have to go home and get to go ahead for all of this from her."

"I wish you good luck with that then."

"Thanks." Cody paused and smiled. "Is it just me, or is this all a little ironic? I mean, after my medical school interview with you, I thought I could wave goodbye to Harvard. And now, here you are working to get me into something even better."

He smiled. "I know, but I'm not that bad of a guy. I bet you've heard horror stories about my class, right?"

"Well, now that you mention it..."

"None of them are true. I just hold everyone to the same standards as everyone else. Not my fault that some people aren't willing to work as hard after spring break. But I have no worries about you or your wife in that regard."

"Thanks. I guess its never too late to make a good second impression, huh?"

Professor Hyden smiled. "Never if you're sincere about it. Let than be a free lesson to you then. People aren't always who you think they are. No matter what you may think you know about them, they will always find a way to surprise you."

_To be Concluded..._


	25. Blazing New Paths

_Chapter 25_

_"Blazing New Paths"_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did._

_Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them._

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so..._

___The Sports Bar/Restaurant near Harvard Yard_

Realizing that she had just been stone cold busted, Amy quickly slammed the top of her laptop closed. Once she had done that, she quickly looked up at her roommate trying to figure out the best way to to spin the fact that she had just been caught surfing a website she had previously called lame and moronic. Although a few thoughts and ideas entered her mind, she dejectedly came to the conclusion that they were all too too stupid or far fetched for Beth to actually buy. Not that anything Amy would have said would have mattered anyways as Beth had a big smile spreading out on her face indicating that her discovery was too good to let slip away. As she took her chair and gave her friend a knowing look, Amy steeled herself for the worst. And after a few moments of letting her suffer from the silence, Beth finally began her inquisition.

"Well, well, well..what do we have here? Amy, unless my eyes deceived me – and since I have 20/15 vision after my laser surgery, I don't believe they did – you were on that E-Harvard site again. That was the same site that you once told me only losers and the dregs of society would actually use. Now, either you have lost a lot of self confidence as of late or..."

Amy wasn't about to let her finish that thought. "Look, its not what you think. I promise you I can explain everything!"

Beth began chuckling and teasing her. "Oh, I bet you can, and I'm really, really looking forward to hearing this. I mean, as your roommate and friend, it is my responsibility to make sure you don't do anything stupid or self destructive. I'm hear to listen for this obvious cry out for help. And that's what this is, right? I distinctly remember you telling me that that website gave you the creeps. If that was true..."

"It does! I was just..." Amy sighed in defeat. "Fine, but its not as bad as you are making it out to be. Look, I was working on my my final project for my computer science class about a month ago when I hit the proverbial wall. I really needed something to distract me from it hoping that focusing my mind elsewhere would help. So I checked my bookmarks to see if there was anything there that would be a good diversion. And E-Harvard was one of my bookmarks since I had used it so much for my freshman seminar project that I told you all about. Well, maybe I had been studying too much and was feeling slappy happy or insane or whatever, but for a few laughs, I created a profile of the real me to see what kind of weirdos I would actually attract."

"And did you?"

"Yeah, I was right on..." She paused. "...for the most part."

Beth gave her a look. "For the most part? What does that mean?"

She sighed again. "A couple of days after I posted it, I got this message from a guy who was basically making fun of the whole on-line thing. Well, that one actually caught my attention since I had been saying some of the same things he was myself. One thing lead to another, and we got to sending messages back and forth. During the stress of studying, exams and projects, I found it to be a good source of mindless fun and a opportunity to just be stupid."

"Uh huh..." She tapped her chin as if she was thinking. "Now, where have I heard this scenario before. Oh yeah...I remember now! Amy, I hate to break it to you, but you're not Meg Ryan, that's not Tom Hanks on the other end, and I'm pretty sure whoever this dude's family is doesn't own a multi-million dollar book chain." She paused and laughed again. "Then again, this is Harvard, so maybe they do..."

Amy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I know that! I'm well aware that this isn't the movie _You've Got Mail_. I know stuff like that to that degree doesn't happen in real life. I'm not a complete idiot."

"The jury is still out on that one. Anyways, you say that was a month ago, right? So all that stressful stuff is over now and you're still talking to him?"

Amy hung her head in shame. "Yeah, I guess I am. We were making fun of finals and how professors like to test of the most obscure of details. He said he was going to send me a message today proving that point, and I was just checking to see if he had sent me said message when you busted me."

Beth smiled. "Is school all you two talk about?"

She shook her head. "Well, we may have branched out to other subjects..."

"Like what?"

"A little bit of everything. We both muse over what we find to be ridiculous about anything like books, movies or politics."

Beth kept smiling. "Oh really? He must be well versed then, and to legally be on that site, he has to be a student at Harvard too. Is he a rising sophomore like us?"

Amy paused to think before shrugging her shoulders. "I actually don't know. We've pretty much kept our personal lives out of our talks. I think we're both enjoying the anonymity of it all."

She laughed. "Well, you should probably at least find out what his name is before you meet him..."

She shook her head vigorously. "Nope! Will never happen! I didn't do this to meet anyone, and I don't plan on starting now!"

"Good. I don't want you to get catfished." Beth laughed again. "Besides, I'm way too busy to appear on a cheesy MTV reality show anyways. And I know I'd end up being the friend they bring in to have you bounce things off of or cry on my shoulder or..."

"I promise, I'll never meet this guy! I wasn't planning on even doing what I'm doing now, but I don't seem the harm in it. Besides, I don't get the impression he is anxious to meet me either. Right now, we both have an anonymous figure out in cyberspace we can rant and rave to. We can get things off our chests to each other that we can't with anyone else. I see nothing wrong with that."

She frowned. "You been badmouthing me?"

Amy laughed. "Constantly!"

"I guess that's fair. I do the same to you to Aaron. Just take it from me though, its actually a lot more fun having someone there physically you can talk to and complain to about things."

Amy smiled. "But Beth, if I need someone for that, that's what I have you for..."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Should have seen that one coming. Anyways, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but there are other things you can only do with another person there with you." She laughed. "You're my girl and all, but you're not my type when it comes to other things."

She acted offended but kept smiling. "I won't say I'm not hurt, but I think I'll get over it."

"You better. So, do you even know this guy's name?"

"Of course..." She paused. "I think I do anyways."

"Oh, this should be good..."

Amy gave her a look. "Well, his screen name is Adam's McRib. So, I think its safe to say his name is Adam."

"I would say the odds are probably good for that, but I'd me more concerned that he named himself after a nasty sandwich from McDonald's made from who knows what. I know its supposed to be some kind of a pun, but still..."

"Yeah, I called him out on that too. He said it was his form of protest against the restaurant which I found myself in total agreement with. He actually said it was an indictment against the people of the world that they've served over ninety-nine billion people without them realizing just how bad the food really was or questioning what was actually in the food." She paused again. "Well, he did say except for the French fries. His theory is that they lace them with crack..."

Beth laughed again. "Well, he may have a point there." She paused. "Does he know your name?"

Amy shook her head. "Nope. He calls me by the screen name I used."

"And that would be what?"

She paused and looked away in embarrassment. "Perfect 10..."

Beth began laughing again. "Oh wow! Me thinks someone at this table has an awfully high opinion of herself. No wonder you drew all the weirdos in like moths to a flame! You were asking for it with that name!"

"I don't mean it the way it sounds. It was just a nickname that my Dad used to have for me when I was a little girl."

She gave her another look. "Your Dad gave it to you? Kind of sweet and creepy at the same time."

Amy returned that look with a smirk. "Nothing like that! Get your mind out of the gutter! When I was younger, I asked him why I didn't have any brothers or sisters younger than I was. And Daddy told me that when he and Momma had me, they'd hit the jackpot. Any more after me could never have lived up to standard I had set. So, since they told me I was the ultimate child and the tenth child in the family, he would call me his Perfect 10."

Beth shook her head and laughed again. "You do realize he was just blowing smoke up your..."

She cut her off. "Yes, I know! But I still loved that nickname, so I decided to use it again."

"If you say so. I won't say I won't give you too much hell about this, but you know I will have to from time to time."

"I know hence why I was trying to keep it a secret. After the interrogation you just gave me, I'll do much better in the future to hide it from everyone else."

"I sure hope so." She paused. "All kidding aside, I don't want to see you get hurt. We dodged a major bullet thanks to C.J. with those two jerks this past winter. I got lucky in that the next frog I found seems to be turning into a prince. I just want you to find one of your own too."

Amy smiled. "I truly appreciate that, but this is really nothing. I can 100% guarantee you that absolutely nothing will ever come from this. Adam or whatever his name is will probably be a distant memory by the time next semester starts."

___Cody and Bailey's Place_

Fortunately for Bailey, Harvard Student Health had numerous locations all across campus, and once such branch was situated in the Longwood Medical Area. That made it extremely convenient for those in the medical and dental schools as that alleviated the need to head over to the main part of campus several miles away. And even more fortunate for Bailey, with her appointment scheduled for a late Friday afternoon, she was able to get in and get out fairly quickly. So, when she found herself walking back into the front door of their home, it had only been about forty-five minutes since she had kissed Cody goodbye.

Of course, looking around their townhome upon her arrival, she was a little surprised to find that Cody wasn't already there himself. Bailey checked with both Albie and Allie, but neither one of them had seen or heard anything from him since that morning. Immediately, she figured he was just late in getting their movie tickets for that evening. But when another forty-five minutes elapsed, she began to get a little worried. Bailey was about to call him on his cell phone to see where he was when she heard the front door open again. When Cody walked into their living room, she sighed in relief that it was actually him.

"Are you just now getting home? Was there a long line at the theater?"

He winced. "The movie tickets...I'm sorry, Bails. That completely slipped my mind."

She gave him a funny look. "It did? But you were packing up to head over there when I left to head to my appointment?"

"Well, that was my plan at the time. And I'm pretty sure I would have picked them up if Professor Hyden hadn't saw me in the hallway and asked me to come to his office to talk to me about something."

"He did? What about? Is everything okay?"

Cody paused before nodding. "Yeah, I think so, but I'm not sure what you will think about it though..."

That really confused Bailey. "Huh? You're not sure I'll like what he had to say? What are you talking about, Sweetie?"

"Lets go sit down on the couch and I'll tell you everything. I'll save you the unpleasant stomach burning I got when he offered me a shot of bourbon..."

She nodded even more confused, but they headed for the couch anyways. And once they were both seated, Cody took her hand in his and gave her the play-by-play of the entire conversation he had had with their teacher about a hour previous. And as he told her everything that the good professor had said, Bailey's mouth fell open in surprise.

"Are you serious?"

Cody could only nod. "Yeah, that is exactly what he said. Now, tell me - what do you think?"

Bailey paused before pulling him in for a hug. "I think that is an amazing opportunity you've just been given! What did Professor Hyden say when you naturally accepted the offer?"

He smiled and laughed. "I haven't accepted anything yet. I told him I would have to talk this over with my wife first and see what she thought. If you weren't on board, it would be a no go."

She pulled back and smiled back at him. "Well, I truly appreciate that, but you should have told him that you were in. This is something you can't pass up, Cody!"

"Again, I told him I wasn't going to do anything without talking it over with you first. I mean, it does sound like something I'd love to do, but its not more important to me than the plans we've already made."

Bailey smiled again. "Again, thank you for that, but I think this is something you should definitely go for! I'm just kind of surprised that neither one of us thought of this before. Sweetie, you're a natural researcher. I think you would kick butt at that!"

"You really think so?"

"I know so. I mean, who else would have gotten so touched when I bought them a slide of a two-headed paramecium back in high school?"

Cody laughed. "That's true. I do still pull out Teviot and Scott every so often just to see how they're doing. Plus, I remember completely facinated a few years back when they engineered the AIDS virus to not only not be harmful to the human body but actually use it as an assassin for cancer cells. It would be pretty cool to be able to be on the front line of thinking of stuff like that."

"See? That's even more proof that you should do this. You've been waiting to find your specialty, and I think you've finally found it."

"Maybe, but it would also change some things for us. Foremost, it would mean us sticking around Boston for a few more years while I finish the PhD."

Bailey smiled again. "Honey, I'm pretty sure that was going to happen anyways. Boston is home to some of the best hospitals in the country, and this is where we'd want to do our residences. And Sweetie, I know you've said you'd go to the ends of the earth for me, but Boston is our home now. I mean, a lot of our friends are either here or only a few hours away. I can't imagine us living anywhere else right now."

"I guess that's true."

"Trust me, it is, and if Professor Hyden was right about the fellowships, we should have more than enough to live on for the few years you're at MIT and while I'm a resident. I mean, its not like we have that many expenses anyways. Your tuition will be covered as well as our medical insurance plus we don't have a mortgage to worry about. We'll be fine financially if this is what you really want to do."

He paused. "You know, the more I think about it, I think I would love to do this."

"Then its unanimous then. Cody, I just want you to do whatever will make you happy. If this is it, so be it." She teased him. "Though, I still think it would have been nice for us to have our own clinic where you delivered the babies and then I treated them afterwards."

Cody couldn't help but to laugh. "Sweetheart, I love you more than anything, but that was never going to happen."

"I know. But I can see a perk that I'm going to get out of this new plan."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Bailey laughed. "Think about it! I'll be able to brag that my husband has two bachelor degrees from Yale, a medical doctorate from Harvard and a PhD from MIT! How many people do you know that will have that kind of educational background?"

Cody shook his head and laughed again. "True, but I've learned I'll still be only the second smartest person in my family. And when we are ready to have kids, I may find myself sliding down the pecking order even further."

"We both will, Honey. We'll get used to that together."

"You know, it will be kind of weird though."

"What's that?"

"Well, this summer, I'll be taking my first class in five years that you won't be in there with me. What am I going to do without my favorite study partner?"

She smiled and kissed him. "She'll be here to quiz you and help you study. I'm sure I can find ways to keep you properly motivated if it becomes necessary..."

"I bet you will."

Bailey scooted closer to him. "About that class though, it will have to change some of our plans though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you first week of classes is the week before Sophie's wedding back home. We were planning on taking that Thursday and Friday off and flying back to Kettlecorn that Thursday morning. We'll have to change that since you'll have class on Friday morning."

He smiled. "No we won't. You go ahead and fly out on Thursday, and I'll catch the first flight out I can as soon as my class gets out the next day. I know you'll want to be there for her bachelorette party/shower, and I promise I'll be there in time for the rehearsal dinner Friday night."

"I guess that would work." She laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Of course it will. But lets not count our chickens before their hatched. I could totally blow the brunch we're having with Professor Garrison on Sunday. If I do, we won't have to worry about any of this."

"Oh please! If our medical school admissions process proved anything, its that you know how to handle yourself under pressure. Besides, I'll be there with you to help you out and talk you up to this Professor Garrison. By the time brunch is over, he'll be begging you to join his program."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. And when it does, it would be a good idea for us to head over to the Tipton Clinic in person on Monday afternoon to let them know about this and see what they have to say about you transferring to the research division."

He looked down at her. "You'll go with me?"

"Of course I will. Remember, we're a team. We're doing this together."

Cody kissed her cheek. "Have I mentioned lately that I have the best wife in the whole world?"

She smiled. "Yeah, you have, and don't you ever forget it!" She paused. "You know, I actually envy you in some regards. This time next year, we'll be in full prep mode for part one of the USMLE. While the rest of us bust our humps trying to get as good a score as possible so we can get the best residencies, you'll be able to take it easy because your score won't really matter."

He laughed. "Oh please! You know me, Bails. Not a chance I slack off any on that. You know as well as I do that I'll try to do as best as I can. Its not in me to slack off."

Bailey looked up at him. "I know that, but in the back of your mind, that nugget of information will keep you from getting as freaked out as everyone else will when it gets to be crunch time. Its only human nature. I know I will."

"Well, I'll just be here to help you from getting so freaked out then. Just tell me how, and I'll do it."

She paused to think for a minute before an idea came to her. "You serious about that?"

"Of course I am."

Bailey grinned. "You remember that proposed bet we talked about about a month and a half ago? The one you said you really weren't scared of the terms per se but would prefer to have it on something you had a final say in the outcome?"

Cody paused to think. "Uh huh...If you're talking about what I think you're talking about."

"I am! Looks like we've found the terms of our bet then! The one of us that gets the lower score between us has to go through with it!"

He sighed. "I did say I would, didn't I? Alright. Fine then. I'll do it. Its a bet." He paused. "But when we write it up, can we change the wording to the person who doesn't get the higher score between the two of us? That just sounds less harsh."

"Whatever you say!" She extended her hand. "And you my dear have a deal!"

___Zack and Maya's Suite_

After the afternoon she had had, Maya was almost exhausted by the time she finally got home that evening. Despite that though, she was feeling very good as if large weight had finally been removed from her shoulders. While a small part of her was a little sad that a long friendship was over, she was hopeful that she had seen the last of Will for a long time if not forever. And not having to deal with him anymore added a spring to her step. But, she was only human, and having to deal with that earlier confrontation as well as a long day of work had left her completely wiped out. As such, she couldn't wait to get back to the suite and crash or maybe take a nice long hot bubble bath. But once she opened the door, she quickly discovered how popular of an idea that turned out to be. Sprawled out on the couch with the television blaring in front of him, she observed that Zack seemed to be on the precipice of falling asleep himself. Maya just shook her head, walked over to him and gave him a quick peck on the forehead..

"Was your last final really that rough?"

Zack looked up at her and smiled. "You can say that again. I walked out of it feeling violated. But, Amanda and I went for a celebratory drink afterwards, and I think that helped sooth the pain a little. But I was so tired, I headed home immediately after I finished my first and only drink."

"Well, you're not the only one who's had a long day, so scoot over and make some room for me."

So, he complied. And after Maya kicked offer shoes, she climbed onto the couch next to him. And that seemed to hit the spot as she sighed in contentment. "Much better now..."

"You can say that again. Actually, I said the same thing when I first sat down. Though, don't be surprised if I fall asleep on you shortly. I was well on my way when you came in."

"I won't take any offense if you don't if I do the same."

"Deal..." Zack yawned. "So, anything out of the ordinary happen to you today?"

She paused before laughing. "Oh, I guess you could say that. Will stopped by to see me this afternoon..."

That caught Zack's attention, he sat up and his eyes immediately flew open. "He did? What happened? Do I need to go have a talk with him? Do I need to kick his butt?"

Maya kept laughing. "I don't think so. In fact, I seriously doubt I'll ever see him again!"

He looked at her in confusion. "Huh? How can you be so sure? I mean, didn't you think that same thing before today?"

She smiled and began telling him everything that had happened. "Since I doubt he wants me to completely ruin his future, that's why I feel so confident this time."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I would say so." He paused. "How come we didn't think of that earlier? You would have thought we would have..."

Maya shook her head and began laughing again. "I asked myself the exact same question. But the positive thing to remember is that I'm almost confident that he'll be out of our lives from now on."

"That's good..." He began laughing too. "Though, I guess I'll have to give up on a rematch out on the river..."

She gave him a look. "You miraculously stayed dry the last time. No need to tempt fate, Babe."

"What are you talking about? I was just getting into a groove out there! If need be, I think I can fill in if an emergency occurs down in Rio!"

"Uh huh...whatever you say. Lets change the subject though. How does it feel to have a full year of Harvard under your belt now?"

Zack paused before shrugging. "Pretty good actually. I survived a year without flunking out, so I guess I can hack it there after all."

Maya smirked at him. "Hmmm. If I recall, I told you that exact same thing last year! Mark another one down for me!"

"Yeah, yeah. You were right, okay? Satisfied?"

"I guess I satisfied. But, the next time I tell you something, you better listen to me and not forget this!"

He shook his head and laughed. "Yes, Dear. Though, it turns out I wasn't the only one who finished up their first year at Harvard today. We ran into Amy and her roommate while we were getting a drink, and they had just finished their last finals of their freshmen years."

"Good for them. Though, to be honest, I'm glad I only have three semesters left instead of three years."

Zack shuddered. "You and me both, Babe...you and me both. Though, I don't envy the Codester either. He has to help them move out of their dorm room tomorrow. Sucks to be him. Kind of surprised yet glad he hasn't called asking for our help yet."

Maya nodded. "Bailey mentioned it to me, but she already knew we couldn't help out anyways. We already have plans tomorrow afternoon we can't get out of even if we wanted to."

Zack gave her a look of surprise. "We do? I thought this weekend was going to be spent doing nothing in preparation for going back to work on Monday..."

She smiled. "Not entirely. Your Mom and Arwin's wedding is only about a month away now, so we're helping them do some of their last minute tasks. Plus, I have to have my fitting for my bridesmaid dress and you have to get fitted for your tuxedo."

He groaned. "Can't they just use my measurements from Cody and Bailey's wedding last summer?"

Maya poked him in the gut and teased him. "Afraid not, Zack! You may not be freshman anymore, but you have put on a few pounds in the past year..."

"Hey! Its all muscle!" He sighed before something dawned on him. "Wait a minute! How are Cody and Bailey getting out of helping with these tasks and getting measured?"

"I'm guessing its because they're helping Amy move out. Besides, your Mom said they both went for their fittings last weekend anyways."

"Why didn't they tell me and I would have done mine then too? I would gladly have done it then!"

Maya laughed. "Because no one wanted to take you away from studying for your finals. We thought that was more important for you to do."

Zack began to pout. "This sucks!"

"It won't take that long. And then we'll have all evening to do as much or as little as we want. Plus, we'll have all day Sunday free to do nothing."

"I guess..." He paused. "Remind me not to put off everything to the last minute when it comes for us to do all of this stuff when its our turn."

She teased him again. "Our turn? For that to happen, you'll have to propose to me first. Until you do that..."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. In fact, I've been giving that very idea a lot of thought lately."

Now it was Maya's turn for eyes to go wide in surprise. "It has?"

Zack smiled. "Of course it has. I mean, we've talked about waiting until we're done for school, and that's only a year and a half away now. With the finish line finally in sight now, I've begun to think that its about time for me to drop down to a knee..."

She gave him a look. "Wait a minute! Did you just propose to me?"

He laughed. "Nope. Trust me, when I finally do, you'll have no doubts that's what I'm doing."

"Oh really?"

"Really. I mean, I've already got the ring, I just need to find the right time and place. And fortunately for me, I have an adviser who is helping me with planning all of that."

Maya began laughing. "Cody?"

Zack shook his head. "Nope. Amanda." He paused. "Actually, she insisted she help me out after she heard my original idea. She said she'd kill me herself if I did it."

She kept laughing. "Oh, this I have to hear!"

"Well, for some reason, she didn't think airing it on the jumbotron at a game would have been very romantic. I think after the kiss cam at the Garden, it would have been cool."

She gave him another look. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, she didn't think you'd like it."

Maya laughed again. "Remind me to thank her the next time I see her. That would have been incredibly lame. I hate those things. You feel sorry for the girl because you feel like the crowd is almost forcing her to say yes."

"Hey!"

Maya leaned in and kissed him. "Don't worry. I give you an 'A' for effort, but Amanda is completely right about this. I'd kill you if she didn't..."

Zack sighed. "Oh well, we're thinking of other ideas you'll hopefully like better."

"I'm sure I will..." She laughed again. "I mean, anything has to be better than the jumbotron. Let me guess. You would have picked a Knicks/Celtics game or a Yankees/Red Sox game. Zack, either way, one of us would have been upset at the end of the night. I want our engagement to be a happy time for everyone."

"Laugh all you want, but I do promise you this. I will one day drop down to my knee when you least expect it. And the day will be a lot sooner than you may think."

___The Park near Tipton Town, a few weeks later in early June_

While everyone else around Boston had been finished with school for several weeks, the crew at Harvard Medical school finally finished up their Year One Integration Exercises that Tuesday afternoon. Once the last of them turned in their final work, all of them headed out for a celebratory lunch and congratulated each other on successfully finishing their first years and being one quarter of the way done with medical school. Of course, they did tease Cody that he was only like one seventh of the way done with his grad studies, but he was in such a good mood right then that he didn't care. Besides, he brought up the fact that if they included residencies, there was a chance he would be done before anyone else. When they finally got home that afternoon, Cody was happy to head over to the complex's gym for a workout before taking a nap. But, Bailey knew she had to push herself and headed out to do a ten mile run.

Fortunately for her, She wasn't running alone though as she had somehow talked Amy into heading out with her. But after about five miles and almost as many blisters, Amy said she was done for the day and headed over to a park bench to rest. As she debated how crazy she was for letting her sister talk her into what she now considered a fool's folly, her feet let her know how upset they were with her. So, she took off her shoes and began rubbing them as gingerly as she could. And as she was doing that, she heard a familiar laugh coming from her left. Looking up, she saw C.J. and Rufus standing there, and C.J. wasn't able to hold back how humerous he found the sight in front of him.

"Should I call Dr. Scholl? Are you alright?"

Amy sighed. "I know you every right to laugh right now, but please, don't ask..."

He grinned. "Come on! You know I have to! You'd do the same thing if the roles were reversed."

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "You've got me there. Alright...I somehow let my sister talk me into doing the Boston Marathon with her next year. She said not only would it help keep us in shape, but it would be fun and a good bonding experience for us."

"And is it so far?"

"Not so much when it takes everything I have to keep up with her. She has a few months head start on me, but I thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong! The plan was to go ten miles today, but halfway through, my body said it was done. So, I'm sitting here waiting on her to come back. I'd head back home, but my feet are telling me they aren't going anywhere for a little while."

C.J. laughed. "Sounds like a lot of fun..."

"Oh, trust me, its not. But, I also figure with the way I'll be eating this summer living with those two, this is something I'll really need. It would be really ironic if I got my freshman fifteen the summer after my freshman year."

"Yeah, it would be...and hilarious at the same time. I know wouldn't be able to resist the urge to give you pure and total hell."

Amy smirked at him. "Gee...thanks."

"Hey, you'd do the same for me. But look on the bright side, I admire you for agreeing to do this. My Mom would have a total meltdown if I did that. She'd be afraid there would be another bombing."

She nodded. "Yeah, my parents aren't too thrilled about it either, but Bailey told them it was a way to remember those who lost their lives or limbs a few years ago. I know it was a terrible tragedy, but I know the aftermath of it really changed how my family viewed the city of Boston. At first, they thought Cody might have been an exception to their preconceived notions about people here, but now, they realize Bostonians are good people and very tough and resilient."

He nodded too. "I would have to concur with that. They may talk funny, but they're good, hard working people."

"You can say that again." She smiled. "So, I understand your now officially done with your first year at Harvard too. Congrats."

C.J. smiled back at her. "Finally and thank you. I now have the rest of the week off before I begin my summer job next Monday. I'm really looking forward to having a couple of days off to do absolutely nothing."

"Lucky you. I started my summer class yesterday."

"Yeah, but you've been doing nothing the past few weeks." He paused and laughed. "But, I guess the old saying is true - no rest for the wicked, huh?"

"Hey!"

"I kid, I kid! How are you liking it and your job so far?"

Amy paused. "You know what? I absolutely love it. This kind of stuff fascinates me to no end. I can't get enough of it. Trying to understand the dynamics between men and women is like searching for intelligent life in the universe. Odds are you'll never see it in your life time, but you have to hope."

C.J. smiled again. "Very true. Well, it looks like its my turn to congratulate you then."

She frowned at him in confusion. "For what?"

"Well, if you've found something you're so passionate about, its like what I told you before. Sometimes, you don't pick a major, it picks you. It looks like something has finally picked you."

Amy paused to think for a moment. "You know, you're right. I do enjoy it, so why not declare it as my major?"

"Which it are you talking about? Based on what you've told me about this class, it sounds like you have two paths of study to choose – sociology or psychology."

"That's true. I don't know yet, but maybe by the end of the summer, I'll have a better idea of which way I'm leaning?"

"Maybe." He paused and smiled. "Or you could open door number three."

"And that would be?"

C.J. laughed. "Amy, you wouldn't be the first and won't be the last college student to have a double major if you wanted to pick both."

Amy laughed too. "That's true I guess. Something else for me to think about, huh?" She paused again. "That and trying to explain to my parents what I'll end up doing with a degree in either or both."

"Well, whatever you choose to do, I'm sure you'll be successful at it." He paused and laughed. "Speaking of interesting coincidences though."

"What do you mean?"

"Your field of study could be why the mind does what it does and mine is how the brain itself works."

She laughed again. "That's one way to look at it, but then again, I guess that makes you a great source of potential information for me again!"

He shook his head vigorously. "Uh uh! Oh no! I thought I was through being your guinea pig for your class projects!"

"Yeah, well, think again! Why would I give up such a valuable asset such as yourself?"

He hung his head. "Awww, man..."

"Don't worry, I don't think it'll hurt you...that much"

C.J. shook his head again. "Famous last words...One of these days, you'll hopefully find another test dummy."

Amy laughed again. "Now, what fun would that be?"

"Can't you use your sister and brother-in-law sometimes?"

She smiled. "And deprive you of all the fun? No way!"

He sighed sarcastically. "Lovely...Well, I should be getting back home. I think Rufus is ready for a nap, and if I'm honest, so am I. And knowing my days as a lab rat aren't over has suddently worn me out..."

"I am too, but I'm stuck here until my feet begin working again or Bailey gets back." Just then, Amy heard the ring tone indicating she had a new message on her phone. "Hopefully, that's her saying she on her way back right now."

"Well, have fun then...and if I might suggest - soak your feet in epson salts." And with that, C.J. headed off back towards his home..

Amy sat back on the bench and fished her cell phone out of her pocket. Checking it, she saw that she didn't have a new instant message but rather a new email. Upon opening it, she saw that it was from E-Harvard informing her that she had a new message. Opening up the app on her phone, she finally saw who it from.

"Ahhh...its from Adam. I wonder what he has to say today?"

___The Roof of the Tipton Hotel, the following weekend_

The following Saturday finally brought with it Carey and Arwin's wedding. And fortunately for all of those involved, it went off without a hitch. The ceremony itself was a very simple yet beautiful one, and everyone really liked the idea of having the reception up on the Tipton's rooftop. And not only did the weather fully cooperate in that it didn't rain or wasn't too warm, but the background view of the Boston skyline was spectacular. After a few hours of helping the newly married couple celebrate there new nuptials, they all watched as they made their exit on their way to their honeymoon. But the newlyweds leaving didn't signal the end of the party by a long shot as everyone hung around to keep having fun. And after a while, they realized they were going to need more supplies to keep it going.

Zack looked around. "I think we're almost out of wine up here...That's not good."

Maya looked around too. "And I think we're out of champagne too. That's not good either."

He paused to think. "If I'm not mistaken, I think London stored a couple of boxes of extras of each down in our suite. I guess someone could go down and get a couple of each..."

Max stood up. "I'm on it..." She paused and laughed. "Besides, I don't think either of you are in any condition to be walking down the stairs right now anyways."

"Ha ha. I am not that bad..." Zack paused before he uncontrollably hiccuped. "Okay, but I've been worse before."

"Oh, I totally believe that...and I look forward to seeing it again tonight with my own two eyes. I'll be right back."

Gabby stood up too. "Hey, I'll help you out there. Something tells me we're going to need more alcohol than just what one person can carry back."

Without any further protests from anyone, they both headed off towards the stairwell. And with them gone, Zack held up his glass and turned towards his brother.

"Here's to Mom being happy and finally hitched now!"

Cody held up his glass as well. "Here, here. I'll drink to that. And here's to not having to worry about taking care of her in her old age now either. She'll have Arwin for that."

"Now, I'll drink to that news myself!"

Bailey laughed. "And I'd like to toast to now having half the Martin family married off, and the other two seeming to be well on their way to joining their ranks..."

Maya shook her head and laughed too. "To quote Zack, I'll drink to that! And according to him, it might not be that long until number three bites the dust..."

That immediately caught everyone's attention as all eyes turned to her and Zack with questioning looks on their faces. Maddie was the one who finally spoke up first. "Oh really? Something we need to know about, Zack? Is there something you've done we're not aware of?"

He shrugged but smiled. "Not at this moment, but there could be some movement on that front in the near future. But there is no need to talk about that now. We're here to celebrate Mom and Arwin..."

Cody laughed. "Nice yet subtle diversion there, Bro."

"I try my best."

Maddie turned to Cody. "Well, it seems we also have something to celebrate on your front as well. Congrats on getting accepted into the Harvard/MIT joint MD/PhD program. That's an awesome accomplishment!"

He laughed. "Well, to quote my brother again, I try..."

Zack shook his head. "Oh no, don't quote me in regards to that! You're willingly adding a few more years of school to the three more you already have left in medical school. Maya and I are already talking about soon finally being done, and here you go willingly taking more on. You have to have finally flipped your lid! Even though Bailey loves school as much as you, she isn't doing that either! Tell me, why Broseph? Why?"

"Because it sounds like something I think I'd be really good at. Besides, I think all the work we had to do for our senior projects back at Yale should definitely help me out when it comes time to have to do a dissertation."

C.J. grinned. "Well, if you need any help with yours, let me know. Not to brag, but I have already done one myself..."

Amy rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, rub it in that you've already got a PhD by the age of 18..."

Zack shook his head and laughed. "You know, for over twenty years, I never thought I'd ever see the Codester get..." He paused. "...well, out Codyed. I have to admit, its a trip to see it. Is that why you're doing this? You going for the PhD to get back your title as biggest overachiever?"

Cody shrugged. "Nah, that doesn't really matter to me at all. Rather, its just a way to fulfill a dream I've had for a long time. When I was younger, I kept talking about getting degrees from either Harvard or MIT, and this way, I'll have both..." He paused and began laughing. "Though, back then, I thought it was going to be because I was going to have to support both you and Mom in your old ages. Now, I know I don't have to do either anymore. You have Maya to support you now!"

Zack smirked at him. "Ha ha..." He paused. "But since we're talking about it, what exactly does a virologist do anyways? I have no idea what one of those is..."

"Well, the best example I can give you of one is Dr. Jonas Salk."

Zack gave him a confused look. "Who?"

And at that moment, everyone seemed to give him a bewildered look. Maya could only shake her head. "Please tell me you aren't serious?"

"Yeah, I seriously don't know who that is. I'm taking it its someone pretty major, but you have to remember I was a slacker in high school, and then in college, my major was Hospitality Management. Nowhere for that to come up in my studies."

Bailey spoke up. "Dr. Jonas Salk was a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh during the time when polio was a major epidemic terrorizing the world. He came up with the idea of using dead strains of the virus to make a vaccine thinking the body would learn how to attack it without it worrying about it infecting the body. Nobody thought it would work, and he couldn't get anyone to agree to willingly sign up for human trials. So, Dr. Salk personally tested it on himself and his family. Well, turns out he was 100% correct, and polio soon became a worry of the past." She paused and turned to her husband. "Oh yeah, I fully support you in this, but there will be absolutely no human testing on yourself, myself or any of our future children."

Cody just nodded. "Yes, Dear..." He turned back to his brother. "An example you might be more familiar with would be Will Smith's character in _I Am Legend_. He was a virologist as well."

Zack paused to think before nodding. "Gotcha now. However, it should go without warning that if you are responsible for causing a zombie apocalypse in Boston, I'll have to kill you myself!"

He laughed. "Duly noted, but something tells me if one breaks out, you'll be the last of my worries. You're so afraid of zombies you'll lock yourself in a bunker and be crying in the corner in the fetal position!"

Zack smirked back at him. "Ha ha! Very funny!"

"Thanks...I try."

About that time, little Zoey began fussing and crying out. Maddie checked her and sighed. "She's wet, and it looks like she needs a diaper change. I can't wait until we've finished potty training her..."

Cody grinned. "Hey, if I can train two cats to use a toilet, I have every confidence you can train my goddaughter."

"Thanks...I think. Unfortunately, her diaper bag is down in Zack and Maya's suite from the last time I had to change her."

Cody stood up. "I need to use the facilities, so I'll go down and get it. And I can help Max and Gabby while I'm down there bring stuff back up. They've been gone so long, I think they may be having trouble carrying everything. Be right back."

And about five minutes later, Cody finally made his way to the door of Zack and Maya's suite. But before he opened the door, he heard giggling and the unmistakeable sound of lips smacking together coming from inside. To himself, he chuckled thinking Max's mystery beau must have finally made an appearance.

"Looks like I'll finally get to meet this guy. I can't wait to see what he's like..."

And with that, he quickly opened the door hoping to surprse them. But to say what he actually saw inside the suite shocked him would have been a huge understatement. Yes, Max was indeed making out and swapping spit with someone in the suite. But it was who she was with that blew Cody away.

"Gabby? You're Max's secret boyfriend..." He began stammering. "I guess that would make it girlfriend..."

___The End. To be Continued in Season 2_

**AN: Like I said before, I was planning on taking a risk in this story that I hadn't previously attempted to try. Well, here it is! LOL Anyways, with us only having a limited exposure to Max in SLOZAC and not knowing what she had been up to for a long time, this was a gamble I felt comfortable taking. Some may not be happy with it, and I can understand that. I hope everyone will see where it goes before getting too upset. Now, as for season 2, it should be starting sometime this summer. You can guess what some of the storylines will be, but others I have only finally decided on recently. And a tip of my hat to the real Harvard University for giving me some inspiration. My thanks to everyone who has patiently waited for me to finish this story.**_  
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